BlackBerry's Rival for the iPad?

I'm sure you all know this already!

BlackPad tablet to rival iPad - BlackBerry hits back

BlackBerry planning iPad rival | Technology | guardian.co.uk

Could be interesting...

Oliver

I doubt it. RIM has lost its relevance quite honestly. It's North America's version of Nokia. Just give it time, you'll see. They really need to do more if they want to stay in the game.

Good article:
http://www.fastcompany.com/1677523/is-blackberry-doomed-to-be-north-americas-nokia

When Apple announces a new flagship phone, it's front-page news, worldwide. When the new best Android phone in the world is announced (every few weeks, it seems), it's front-page news of every tech publication in the country, and the source of endless debates. Yet, the largest smartphone manufacturer in America just announced a new flagship phone, along with the biggest change to its mobile OS in years. And what did I do?
I read the reports (watched as Middle Eastern nations banned BlackBerrys), I stretched, I drank a cup of coffee, and I looked for other news to write about.

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schweb said:

I doubt it. RIM has lost its relevance quite honestly. It's North America's version of Nokia. Just give it time, you'll see. They really need to do more if they want to stay in the game.

Good article:
Is BlackBerry Doomed to Be North America's Nokia? | Fast Company

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I agree and attempting to mimic the iPad,iPhone or Android is not the way to go. I remember when RIM released the Blackberry Storm there first touch screen phone (Total failure) Don't get me wrong Blackberry still has a huge cult following. But your right they have to up their game or who knows they could end up like Palm.

bargsbeer said:

I agree and attempting to mimic the iPad,iPhone or Android is not the way to go. I remember when RIM released the Blackberry Storm there first touch screen phone (Total failure) Don't get me wrong Blackberry still has a huge cult following. But your right they have to up their game or who knows they could end up like Palm.

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More than a cult following, BB has a HUGE corporate following comprised of IT departments heads who think there is nothing better than BB devices. Google and Apple can do all they want but getting the corporate folks to give up their BBs is going to harder than anyone thinks. In this case, those cute "we're having a baby" iPhone and "Droid Does" commercials are probably hurting them in the corporate world far more than anything else.

You're probably right Baggss, at least for the near term. But long-term, I do know the tides are changing. I actually just came back from a conference and once of the topics that kept coming up is how companies are considering a switch to iPhones.

I know my company is currently in the pilot phase to switch over.

But given the slow inertia of most IT departments, I can see it taking quite awhile if a change of direction does take hold.

Once again business fuels blackberry NOT cool. The main thing blackberry has going for it is the email and text security encryption. Apple is no where near this level of security.

schweb said:

You're probably right Baggss, at least for the near term. But long-term, I do know the tides are changing. I actually just came back from a conference and once of the topics that kept coming up is how companies are considering a switch to iPhones.

I know my company is currently in the pilot phase to switch over.

But given the slow inertia of most IT departments, I can see it taking quite awhile if a change of direction does take hold.

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Apparently the US DoD looked at iPhones and decided against them because they are, get this, a "closed" system. They said the same about Android as well. For the near term they are sticking with BB but would like to transition to a more open Linux type platform that they can control and secure on their own.

I still believe that BB is riding on an old perception that people had back when the blackberry was the cool phone to have because it was one of very few smart-phones out there. They haven't done much of anything but introduce their version of something that has already been introduced by other smart-phone makers. The only thing that BB has going for themselves(for this relatively time being at least) is the enterprise activation, which is also loosing customers to other phones.

Didn't RIM kind of make fun of Apple for using the term "Pad" in in the iPad's name? I remember reading it somewhere. Now coming out with this iPad clone named "BlackPad", that's too funny! At least make it BLACK!!!

psblake said:

Once again business fuels blackberry NOT cool. The main thing blackberry has going for it is the email and text security encryption. Apple is no where near this level of security.

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Businesses can easily secure and encrypt Exchange on the iPhone (or Android). It's really a non-issue any longer.

It's a mixed bag, I imagine. I love my blackberry, btw.

On one hand, it seems that some IT departments are moving to iPhones more and more.

On the other, businesses are having a love affair with blackberry, and many don't want to go through with the issues of migrating to a different phone service. Mine just switched from sprint to verizon, and the migration was a nightmare. Add to that the following and reputation it has in the business world, and the legendary slow migration to newer technology of businesses and you have a recipe for RIM to be around for quite some time.

However, one of the main things keeping iphones out of business was the lack of real multi-tasking. Now that that is no longer an issue, it increases the chances that iphone can break into the business world.

However, the more customizable android is now out, as well, and while it may take some business share from RIM in the future, it will likely eat much of the business sales of iphone, as the customization is there for business.

I think, if anything, it'll be a more even share amongst them all before RIM fails and iphone or android are standing as the king of the hill.

The problem with android and iphone breaking into the business market is that they aren't making themselves look business friendly. While apple and google make their devices the new hipster things to have, RIM are geniuses at pimping their hardware as business tools, and that makes their sales jump way up, when a business has to order 1,000 blackberry devices.

Corporations and IT departments aren't looking for the new cool hip thing to have. They are looking for what works best for what they do, and no matter what the reality may be on how the hardware works, the iphone and android are largely perceived as consumer phones, not business phones.

Oh yeah...to stay on topic, I think the blackpad looks just as useless as an ipad.

SweetCosmicPope said:

...I think the blackpad looks just as useless as an ipad.

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Not everything has to be 100% "useful". Sometimes we buy & own things because they make life more interesting & fun!

- Nick

pigoo3 said:

Not everything has to be 100% "useful". Sometimes we buy & own things because they make life more interesting & fun!

- Nick

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Hmm. Perhaps. I suppose you're right. I can't get past that whole "waste of money" thing, I guess.

I'm frugal!

1. I don't think Blackberry will actually call their pc-tablet a 'Blackpad'.
2. I'm pretty sure someone got a little information about this mysterious device and automatically linked it to the iPad.
3. The iPad isn't the first tablet pc, so just because another company releases a tablet after them doesn't mean they're just copying the Apple Brand.
4. Unless Blackberry changes their overall OS then their rumored tablet will inevitably fail.

I actually like Blackberry OS, quite a lot. Adapts quite well to touch.

I don't think it's a matter of copying, since, as you stated, the ipad isn't the first tablet device. However, since the success of the ipad, everybody and their grandmother have announced a pad with a cell phone OS on it.

The Blackberry OS is definitely not as touch friendly as it could be. Even with the release of OS 6 and Torch last week, the system still has it's flaws and needs some tweaks before a tablet is even attempted by RIM. Apple had done such a great job with the iPad because of their app store and the device's easy use for anyone, so unless BB gets a new design team and their tablet is less than the iPad; I don't see it selling well.

I agree. I do think the whole idea comes off as kind of corny.