RIM: We're Not Giving Up on PlayBook Tablet
RIM has denied talk that it's leaving the tablet business due to poor sales of the BlackBerry PlayBook.
This week brought numerous discounts to all three of RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook tablets from the likes of Staples, Walmart and Best Buy. The latter retailer even slashed $200 off the original price right after Amazon revealed its $199 8 GB Kindle Fire, bringing the 16 GB version of the PlayBook down to a competitive $299.
Initially the price hack was assumed to be due to previous poor sales at the original price point combined with the company's decision to cut back on production. The hack was also seemingly the result of the impending threat from the cheaper Kindle Fire release.
But on Thursday analysts claimed that RIM may have actually halted production of the tablet instead of merely cutting back. "We believe RIM has stopped production of its PlayBook and is actively considering exiting the tablet market," Collins Stewart semiconductor analyst John Vihn wrote in a note obtained by Reuters. "Additionally, our due diligence indicates that RIM has canceled development of additional tablet projects."
However BlackBerry fans can resume dancing in the streets, as on on Friday a spokesperson from RIM called the rumors "pure fiction," and that the company has no plans to bail out of the tablet sector. "RIM remains highly committed to the tablet market and the future of QNX in its platform," the company told Reuters in an emailed statement. RIM even plans to launch "superphones" next year using the same QNX operating system featured on the BlackBerry tablet which will replace its aging-yet-still-breathing phone software.
RIM shares dropped 2.6-percent at $21.32 by Thursday afternoon, and are down more than 60-percent so far this year. RIM reportedly shipped 500,000 PlayBooks in the last six weeks of its fiscal first quarter, and another 200,000 in its full second quarter. The tablet cutbacks were said to be due to contract manufacturer Quanta Computer which laid off a significant number of workers at a factory that was focused on the PlayBook tablet.
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Perhaps, they should just get that price down to $99 and see how they sell. $300 is not competitive for the Playbook...it's 3x overpriced, IMO.
Darn I was hoping for another $99 fire sale so we could try to port Android onto another tab.
I think the playbook was a nice device hardware wise. The problem is these companies need to realize that there is not room for too many operating systems. Right now, it seems that android and IOS are the only viable sources. If the playbook was an android device, then maybe it might have a better chance.
RIM should license QNX to all of the companies paying Microsoft royalties for using Android.
QNX is a better OS than Android.
I got a free playbook when I bought a new car as a gift from the dealership. I do find the interface excellent for multitasking and web browsing, the screen is great for video and the speakers are even reasonably good. I find it very frustrating that it has no native email app because I don't own a blackberry phone, but supposedly that will be resolved shortly. It has a nice citrix app, there's a great 3rd party ebook reader for $1 on their market, and the need for speed and tetris games that come with it really show off its gaming capabilities effectively.
The ebook reader app that came with it limits you to only read books purchased from its own bookstore, so it's very limiting but at least effective. The PC interface/synch/backup software is pretty straightforward and works well, though it does not convert video files for me when transferring video like Samsung Kies software does, so I have to use handbrake first.
One big thing it's missing is Skype, though there is an app in the market called ReelPortal for video chat that it claims also exists on both the android and the apple devices, though I have not had a chance to confirm that or try it. wifi video chat would be pretty cool, too bad the upcoming (very limited) compatibility with android apps will not work with android video chat apps.
I DO hope someone comes up with a way to load android on this device (while still allowing the cameras to work), I would do it in a second. My wife has a Samsung Galaxy phone, and android has so many more apps.
Blackberry will be releasing an emulator that will allow you to use Android apps (though not all) on their device. I think that is supposed to come out with their OS update in Q1 '12, not exatly sure on that though.
RIM is not giving up on its Playbook tablet.
Rim is just going bankrupt and doesn't want to admit it yet.
It won't be long though.
Rim won't exist in 2013.
RIM is the new Nortel.
See, it was just the media making up things.
RIM rushed the Playbook out too fast, with unfinished software. The QNX update coming in November will address a lot of concerns, but they certainly need to get the Android-emulation ability done ASAP, otherwise QNX will fail.
Finish the Android compatibiliy and lower the price...those will do the trick
I agree, a good deal at $199 for solid browsing and video, presentations and office to go, great business tablet but maybe not appealing to masses which would rather play angry birds. But if they can ship OS 2 and port over huge numbers of Android apps we will see more people picking up this powerful device.