RIM unveils 7-inch 'PlayBook' tablet set to launch in early 2011 - Page 5

Dual core A9 and 1 GB RAM caught my eye -- though it seems overkill for a smaller screen.

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I am wondering if you actually read the press release.

Dual core processor - iPad is a single core
10 mm thick - iPad is 13.4 mm thick
.9 lbs - iPad is 1.5 lbs

So, it is smaller, thinner and lighter than the iPad - and how exactly is it a "freakin slab".
The specs also exceed the current iPad (in terms of processor, memory, and cameras). So if these are specs from early this year, then what are the iPads.

This is absolutely true. Corporations are buying into the iPad big time already and RIM has to try some FUD at this point or lose big time. Buying the iPad will lead to more corporations to buying the iPhone and dropping the BlackBerry eventually.

It's a smart thing for RIM to do although I don't think it will work against Apple's iPad/iPhone combination.

I think a Gig of RAM is over kill and will lead to more power consumption. A QNX derived OS may be good but if the UI and API is not well designed and well integrated with the OS they can forget it.

Time will tell.

It seems to me as best I can recall that Apple and usually SJ in person, always demos an actual product regardless of the level of specifications you may feel are lacking. I don't remember a new hardware product being merely shows as a video concept since Steve returned. It isn't sizzle at all to me when he hold a product in his hands and actually uses it live, mishaps and all. It is steak I can always taste. Shipping dates may be some time later in some cases but often they are pretty swift. I also seem to recall SJ usually details the tech specs pretty well, usually telling us what we will see, showing us and then telling us again what he told us already.

It better have a big ass battery.

Lets compare like devices. The iPad, Kindle and PlayBook.

— iPad: Ads show the device in use and what the output is of various functions.

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http://www.apple.com/ipad/gallery/ads.html#ad-delicious
— Kindle: Ads show the device in use in a real world setting, an emphasis of how it bests current LCD display tech in the chosen setting and even lists the price point.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGmRKSds9OY
— PlayBook: The ad is 5x as long as the others yet you don’t get any feel for actual usage of the device and they don’t even show the HW until the end of the video with a brief display of app windows (or something) scrolling.

Does this ability to project onto all these different items for the first 2 minutes come with the PlayBook?
How did they manipulate the windows at the end when i saw no hand touching it?


BTW, they are not light on specifics. They gave a details of the specs for some reason, but left out the price. Kindle lists the price in the commercial while Apple listed the price and configuration at the end of the very first introduction and handheld demo of the iPad.

This is RiM and I consider them a good company that will absolutely follow through with this product, but it seems clear they are unsure what the price will be. This could be due to an unsure manufacturing strategy at this point or wanting to wait to see what other tablets (CES 2011?) are coming out at, including the iPad 2.

This is vapourware at this point, just like Courier was. They can list all the specs you want but they can change, and they probably list that in small text on their site somewhere. They showed no demo of the device in actual use, just professional animations to give the effect of it running smoothly… but nothing in a real world setting on in the hands of actual users.. Did you watch Jobs using the iPad and think that is didn’t function exactly as fast as it was shown? I didn’t.

My point is made better by this comparison to the Nokia N97 promo video, not unlike what we have in the PlayBook video except the N97 promo video actually focuses on the device itself, even if it all done by skilled animators. Note, the limitations of the N97 aren’t just the speed of transitions but how they are done. We’ll see when this comes out how accurate this video was to the real OS and UI on the real HW.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJpEuMidcSU

Why didn't they actually go on stage and demo it to an assembled group from the tech press? Just curious. My guess is they are a ways off and this is a PR stunt to bolster their position for investors.

And a great OS that can use power very efficiently.

Im wondering if they needed that for some of the things they wanted to do with that OS because its just too inefficient, and if well see some HW changes before this thing is released.

I hope RiM growing pains are left behind them on the Storm smartphones, but this promo ad doesnt give me much hope.

The SJ demos aren't without their ooops moments -- app crashes, reboots... Asking everyone to turn off their cells/WiFi so he could get a connection to continue the demo.

But, hey, that's the stuff we mortals understand.

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Seriousely you are gonna call a professional tablet a PLAY book. I mean I get what you are driving at, but I would have chosen planbook, workpad, even slateberry. As always with products like these, they have nice renderings, but we'll see how it will perform once it ships.

There is a certain irony that phone makers were quick to point out Apple was entering their realm and that Apple knew nothing about phones. I am not saying RIM knows nothing about computers but then again they don't have Apple's experience and know how either. The mobile devices running iOS are far more than phones and I wonder if RIM maybe in for a rough ride taking on iOS and Android based on their success with BBs.

Well the hardware specs on paper look good but I have no clue how the OS and UI are going to look and function which of course is going to be major.

By the way off topic only because we talked about this before and I know you also keep up with other products but I just got an Evo update that removed the 30fps cap.

Flash 10.1 is working really great now except of course its a battery killer. I really like the phone and Android 2.2 but the battery is going to drive me insane.

OUTPUT 1080P from the HDMI connector to an external display

True, and that's all the more reason I say I can taste the steak lol not just hear the sizzle as Mr Dillmoss characterized SJs demos. Give me a demo of a real product with warts and all over a flashy concept video and I suspect share holders will feel the same way about RIM this time. It's not that far back to the MS tablet video.

AIR, one of the major reasons for Apple's custom silicon A4 was power management -- then take advantage of this in custom OS software/firmware...

So far, nobody has been able to match Apple's power management.

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Do we really want to go down this road after the whole Ipad name controversy?

I believe this is RIM with all guns blazing, fighting for future sales from their existing client base. They don't have anything to show, they're under pressure and they MUST deliver the goods (at least according to the media). I think we are all slightly suspicious here because they are promising a lot for a tablet in terms of specs and capability. I suspect the thing will be pretty heavy and with many 'problems' based not upon technical know-how but upon the belief that they cannot possibly manage to bring such a powerful, capable product to market with an all new OS in such a short time. But regardless of what the product may be and how well it will perform - RIM is shouting loud and waving promises in order to make their existing clients 'jump ship'. There may be a lot of companies thinking they have so much invested in RIM, and that this looks like a very capable product so they'll wait. They are waving impressive specs and they are aiming the device squarely at business users. I think it is what they MUST do at this point but who know what will happen if they fail.

But I am not sure there was a controversy. A few people with certain fixations and a complaint that grew old very very quickly.

How does Flash handle mouseovers -- a modal hover mode?

It's ironic, but Apple with its integrated CPU and OS, could, likely, do an acceptable job of solving the Flash battery drain...

'Course that means that Adobe and Apple would need to develop a "joint" implementation.

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The closest I can recall is the AppleTV, then called iTV. They actually intoruced a new product by a code name they knew wouldnt be used for the shipping product!!!

Jobs showed slode of the HW with all the various ports, and one in hand and a working one to use with the IR remote to show you how it will function. The sound it makes when you press the remote to the time it takes for the menu to change actually seems a little slower than the working product that shipped. But it was about 6 months so Im sure they refined some things before then.

This was still a working demo of a working product, still 6 months away from shipping (and is was still delayed by a month). If that is Apple, then I dont have high hopes for any of these vapourware promo videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_oz3DdLkG4 To me, this atypical demo screams that Apple was focusing on convincing the content owners of giving Apple rights before the AppleTV launched, not focusing on the consumer. Not that they re-introduced it before introducing the iPhone.



Rehearsed or not, its a real test. Though I have to say that Jobs fumbling with the iPad seemed completely unrehearsed, like he was given a tour for the first time 10 minutes before and then sent out on stage to show it off.



Everyone was in for a rough ride and still is. No one else has or had the expertise of HW, SW, UI and ecosystem for devices ranging from the iPod Shuffle to the Mac Pro. We talked about how great we thought Apple could make a phone if they wanted to, and how efficient and module Mac OS X was that they would eventually be able to run that is handheld devices. Theyve done that and they are expanding it. I dont see anyone besting Apple in the profits game (the one that matters to companies) for the foreseeable future, but I hope some, RiM, can carve out a healthy niche for themselves.

Yeah - that's why I sense a lot of scepticism here. The other thing is the eco system. Even if it can grow and become relevant and significant RIM face a big task laying the foundations for this to blossom.

If IT already has a BB rollout and are tied to BB enterprise services, this tablet would be an easy extension as opposed to a new platform and and new underdevloped enterprise solutions. You cant screw with BB in the enterprise they have this covered. Plus data conservation and security are a big deal Apple isnt there yet.

The Apple haters tried really hard to make it a controversy but I think they started to look like more and more morons as they tried to keep that one going. At least any comments on this are not trying to be infantile so far so that's a good thing. I find it interesting RIM picked this name. They are trying to break away from being seen as only a company making a product for men in striped suits. It seems in keeping with the ads they ran recently with dorky people and some really weird people using their little phone with a pull out keyboard and a touch screen (I was so busy laughing at the ads I forget the name of the phone).

Playbook*

* As in, everything we did was taken from Apple’s playbook.
(Highlight text or put on your They Live sunglasses to see why this is an aptly named device)

Yes, I forgot the iTV but in a way (to me at least) that falls into the same category as an Airport or other peripherals so I don't really expect demos of such things in the way I do of the main items.

I hope SJ didn't work for weeks on that iPad demo and reads your comment ... you may just be on his s*it list LOL.

I'm not comparing a Steve Jobs on-stage demo with an advertisement. Nobody does a product dog-and-pony show like Jobs. Nobody really even tries. I am only talking about ads. As for specifications, I don't recall if Steve told us the clock speed on the processor when the iPad was announced, but I know that some specs for the iPad have still never been officially disclosed, like the RAM. Not that I care -- it's simply a matter of selling product in the most effective manner.


I'm not trying to compare devices, only the approach to advertising them. I well remember the reaction around here to some of the first iPad videos and ads. So many people were sure that you simply could not use the device as it was shown to be used.

I think comparing the advertising methods are important, and I included Kindle and the N97 to give a more rounded and objective answer as to why this is not on the same level as the iPad (or Kindle).

As for those that don’t think it could work that way despite iPads on laps with hands manipulating them and a video of Jobs using it during the event and reviewers saying just how impressively snappy it was after the event. Christine O’Donnell said, "You know what, evolution is a myth. Why aren't monkeys still evolving into humans?” There will always be doubters.

Pretty good analysis... It's a battle for survival.

Though, if I were in IT or management, for an enterprise trying to implement a mobile solution, I don't think I would gamble and wait 4-6 months for a RIM solution. Rather, I'd go full bore ahead with the iPad -- the only tangible. I'd take care to design solutions that would work on either form factor.

Then, no matter the eventual hardware deployment, I'd be 6 months ahead of the game.

At $500 per this is a no-risk, no-brainer.

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"How does Flash handle mouseovers -- a modal hover mode?"

Honestly I have will have to back to you on that because I just installed the update. So other then doing a benchmark on fps I haven't really played around with it much yet. I was happy to see on average 57-60fps.

I really do believe Apple and Adobe could solve the battery drain issue which I why I hope they kiss and make up at some point.

Wow. They're sure kissing the female segment of the market goodbye. I would think that would be the most loyal segment too. Corporate users are fickle.

And at the same time, they showed basically no productivity apps beyond the basic stuff that's on everyone's phone.

So they are aiming at the male, corporate market, with a product that does the same picture shows and video watching as the iPad? And 90% of the video is just concepts and not actual UI? Or maybe they haven't got any word processing apps lined up yet? Seems like they are scrambling here at best.

What do you mean by level?

What about the iPod campaign, which Apple ran for years with images such as these:



... with the product barely even visible?

RIM current OS on their smartphones is really outdated. They are really going to have to pull a rabbit out of a hat if they want this Tablet to take off at all.

While I have used BB, iPhone and now currently giving Adroid a try I have to say I grabbed by friends BB the other day and compared to Android it was like going back to a 1970 Pinto.

The difference is that what the iPad is, what it does, and what it would cost were already set. Apple showed them off, told you when you could get it, and got developers on board.

RIM presented a sort of sketchy portrait, didn't say exactly when it would be released, and no idea what it will cost. Basically, they just got done designing this thing but still have some loose ends, and they don't even know the answers to those questions.

The iPad was announced at the end of January and was in peoples hands at the beginning of April. What is that, around 60 days? And they announced pricing as well.

The RIM product has no pricing and an early 2011 ship date. If it was going to ship in January, they would have said so. What "early 2011" means is that they aren't confident about the ship date which will be Feb or March, at the earliest.

The early announcement was done, as others have suggested, to keep some people from buying competitors products. This is especially important because more and more Google powered devices will be hitting the market in this time frame. And make no mistake, it is not just about the tablet. RIM knows as their users adopt other devices they will start leaving their phone platform as well.

This RIM announcement reminds me of when Palm announced web OS for their new phone. Lots of hype and promises and while it was a okay device, the market had pegged it for irrelevance by the time it actually shipped.

The same thing will happen to RIM's pad. The company will be on life support and bought by another company in 18-24 months.

-kpluck

Hello ... talk about apples and oranges ... That's an ad ... not a product announcement that is supposed to highlight the next revolution the company is about to undertake ... as is the PlayBook for RIM.

That's quite a prediction for a company with that much marketshare, and such a strong hold on enterprise.

I don't know how this device will go, but I recall the predictions of android being a non starter and didn't stand a chance against the iphone.

This is also one of the reasons Apple broke their usual rules and pre-announced the iPad, so obviously two can play. I'm not counting days, as that's just a game. I'm also not guessing what RIM's pre-annoucment means in terms of a real shipping date, as that's just a fool's errand. I simply do not understand the position that the video is a "fake" and that the product is like Microsoft's nonexistent Courier. I've challenged people who say this to show me how RIM could be so stupid as to release a video a product that will either never arrive or not look at all like the promotional ad, but I notice nobody has taken me up on it.

Right, you're a Qualcomm shill.

Huh? Whatever they happen to be advertising, they are both advertisements.

Whoa! Who will buy them... Oracle? CNBC?

Edit: add IBM to that list.

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