RIM could unveil its answer to Apple's iPad next week
Research in Motion could reveal the "Blackpad," its response to Apple's iPad, at next week's BlackBerry Developer Conference, a new report claims.
BlackBerry DevCon runs from Sept. 27-30 in San Francisco, Calif., and would be an ideal time for RIM to reveal the rumored tablet.
Sources familiar with the BlackBerry maker's plans told the Wall Street Journal that the tablet will feature a "seven-inch touch screen and one or two built-in cameras" and will forgo the BlackBerry 6 operating system for a new OS developed by QNX.
Earlier this year, RIM bought QNX, which makes operating systems for everything from "cars to nuclear reactors." RIM's purchase of QNX was seen as a move to counter problems with the BlackBerry operating system, which critics have described as "slow and buggy."
The new tablet device will support Bluetooth, broadband, and tethering with a BlackBerry smartphone, according to the report.
Sources also claimed that \tthe device will be manufactured by Quanta Computer, the world's largest notebook manufacturer, with chips sourced from Marvell Technology Group.
Although a spokeswoman for Quanta and executives at Marvell told the Journal that their companies were independently working on tablets, neither company would name RIM as the client. RIM declined to comment on the rumors.
Bloomberg reported in July that RIM was prepping the "Blackpad" for a November release. RIM acquired the blackpad.com domain earlier in July.
The runaway success of the iPhone has RIM scrambling to keep up. Second quarter data from Research firm Gartner revealed that iOS and Android continued to gain on RIM in world-wide smartphone sales. In August, RIM held a high-profile publicity event to launch the BlackBerry Torch, a smartphone meant to compete with the iPhone 4.
BlackBerry DevCon runs from Sept. 27-30 in San Francisco, Calif., and would be an ideal time for RIM to reveal the rumored tablet.
Sources familiar with the BlackBerry maker's plans told the Wall Street Journal that the tablet will feature a "seven-inch touch screen and one or two built-in cameras" and will forgo the BlackBerry 6 operating system for a new OS developed by QNX.
Earlier this year, RIM bought QNX, which makes operating systems for everything from "cars to nuclear reactors." RIM's purchase of QNX was seen as a move to counter problems with the BlackBerry operating system, which critics have described as "slow and buggy."
The new tablet device will support Bluetooth, broadband, and tethering with a BlackBerry smartphone, according to the report.
Sources also claimed that \tthe device will be manufactured by Quanta Computer, the world's largest notebook manufacturer, with chips sourced from Marvell Technology Group.
Although a spokeswoman for Quanta and executives at Marvell told the Journal that their companies were independently working on tablets, neither company would name RIM as the client. RIM declined to comment on the rumors.
Bloomberg reported in July that RIM was prepping the "Blackpad" for a November release. RIM acquired the blackpad.com domain earlier in July.
The runaway success of the iPhone has RIM scrambling to keep up. Second quarter data from Research firm Gartner revealed that iOS and Android continued to gain on RIM in world-wide smartphone sales. In August, RIM held a high-profile publicity event to launch the BlackBerry Torch, a smartphone meant to compete with the iPhone 4.
Comments
1st post woot. Will be looking forward to how this RIM pad plays out.
What are you 10 years old?
Yes their were Tablets before the iPad but they weren't as popular. Then comes Apple with the iPad and it Spins the world like crazy and now we have all this competitors trying to bring out the so called "iPad Killer". IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN PEOPLE LET IT GO!!!
The smart thing to do is to respect all competition. Arrogance breeds complacency and ultimate defeat. Apple needs to study this RIM product very carefully and work to counter any advantages that it may have. RIM is not Samsung or one of these upstart pad maker. Take them seriously or suffer.
What are you 10 years old?
I know what I am, but what are you.
What are you 10 years old?
Are you 100 years old?
Can't imagine myself buying a 7 inch tablet. Too big for the pockets and too small for couch playing imo.
The current 10" iPad is textbook size (A4 inc the bezel/margin, A5 without). It is ideal for many things but larger than essential for a single-column page reader. The 7" format would be the size and take the place of the paperback novel (A6). Ideal for reading and playing games on the train or bus (compared to iPad and the iPod touch, A7) and it would fit in suit jacket pockets and larger trouser pockets. I could see Apple pushing one to market and it being a success.
Can't imagine myself buying a 7 inch tablet. Too big for the pockets and too small for couch playing imo.
I could. And I'm quite shure Apple is preparing one, like a smaller & lighter "iPad Nano" or expanded "Touch".
What I'd be very unshure of, however, is buying a gadget like this new Blacpad with a totally new and unproven operating system, made by a third party they've aquired (if the reports are correct). It will be interesting to see how this is going to work together with their old blacberry apps and environment. Or maybe they opt for a total, fresh "restart"?
I could. And I'm quite shure Apple is preparing one, like a smaller & lighter "Nano" or expanded "Touch".
What I'd be very unshure of, however, is buying a gadget like this new Blacpad with a totally new and unproven operating system, made by a third party they've aquired (if the reports are correct). It will be interesting to see how this is going to work together with their old blacberry apps and environment. Or maybe they opt for a total, fresh "restart"?
I think an enhanced version of their current operating system would be smarter, using a totally new OS is quite a big risk just to enter and catch up in a market that's not absolutely critical for them.
The smart thing to do is to respect all competition. Arrogance breeds complacency and ultimate defeat. Apple needs to study this RIM product very carefully and work to counter any advantages that it may have. RIM is not Samsung or one of these upstart pad maker. Take them seriously or suffer.
Yeah, either that or... keep on doing what Apple's been doing.
Which is winning by going its own way.
Anyway, I am curious to see what RIM comes up with.
The smart thing to do is to respect all competition. Arrogance breeds complacency and ultimate defeat. Apple needs to study this RIM product very carefully and work to counter any advantages that it may have. RIM is not Samsung or one of these upstart pad maker. Take them seriously or suffer.
This cautionary tone comes up over and over. I wonder if the people who post it recognize that it doesn't really matter if Apple fans are "complacent" or "over confidant?"
If one thinks that Apple itself is not taking its competition seriously, then it makes sense, but there is no indication, IMHO, that Apple is sitting back and milking the iPad with no attention toward future development and innovation.
Nothing personal, biggarthomas, it is certainly a widespread practice. But still I wonder, why take Apple to task every time a fan gets exuberant?
Real creative name there: Blackpad. I wonder where they got the idea from?
Yeah I wonder. Muppets. I would hazard a guess that its UI is also a crappy tribute to iOS as well.
Hmmm..... OK that does sound a little weird now that I have typed it.
What are you 10 years old?
Oh, the good old times, the running in the streets and playing marbles and Game Boy... I wish I were 10 y.o. again.