“Research In Motion Ltd. is said to be preparing a whole new ‘9000-series’ operating system and device platform to take on Apple Inc., Google, and others in 2008,” Dan Jones reports for Unstrung.
“The 9000-series is described by Carmi Levy, an analyst at AR Communications Inc. , as ‘the future of the BlackBerry franchise,’ a complete breakaway from the device’s business roots,” Jones reports. “Instead, the new series targets the consumer space.”
“‘The 9000 is supposed to be a touch-screen device, very similar in form factor to the iPhone,’ Levy says. ‘Which means that it is not an enterprise-friendly device,'” Jones reports.
MacDailyNews Take: How does having a touch-screen make something “not an enterprise-friendly device?” Sheesh, the manure some people will try to spread.
“The 9000 series will break from the traditional half-screen, half-keyboard look of the BlackBerry. The handsets will also incorporate an upgraded multimedia system… Better MP3 and video capabilities are crucial if RIM is to take on Apple, Google, and others,” Jones reports.
MacDailyNews Take: And the plastic keyboards with Tic Tac-sized buttons begin their march into obscurity. Apple has changed the world again. Just as with Macintosh, we’ll all be using iPhones before long, whether they be the real things or half-assed fakes. And, if RIM thinks they can jam some “MP3 and video capabilities” into their devices that can compete with iPod+iTunes, they’re deluding themselves like so many who’ve come (and gone) before.
Jones continues, “Levy speculates that RIM will introduce the 9000-series in the first quarter of next year.”
“Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Rick from Quantico” for the heads up.]
It certainly sounds like RIM has seen the future — visionaries that they are — and, instead of waiting for them to cobble together their knockoff, you can buy it today from Apple.
“half-assed fakes”
I have complete faith that RIM’s shot at copying the iPhone will be a whole-assed fake.
They’ll all laugh at you said the competition to the iPhones soft keyboard.
“Levy speculates that RIM will introduce the 9000-series in the first quarter of next year.”
Yeah, right. Just because you know it can be done doesn’t mean you know how to do it. And you can’t infringe on Apple’s patents so you have to re-invent it all. Yeah, early next year. This I gotta see.
RIM is a formidable competitor. It is not just a small version of an incompetent Microsoft. People actually love their Crackberries.
Who could love their digital devices? People who own Apple products and people who own RIM products. RIM may just be able to compete with Apple’s iPhone. RIM gets it. Other phone manufacturers do not stand a chance.
If anyone has a chance, it would be RIMM. The key skill set is software and Operating Systems, which RIMM does have experience at, as there are not a windows mobile-based phone. Believe me I’m not saying it will be great, but of all the phone makers, they’ve got the best shot. They aren’t a bad company at all, really.
RIM has seen the future?? ROFL!!!
More Like Apple has created the future!!
RIM know that when Apple is in a business market its a case of follow Apple’s lead or die.
“not an enterprise-friendly device?”
My fingers become fatter and my eyes blur more when I run my business, so I need the tactile keyboard. Don’t worry, they auto-repair when I need to enter family events.
And the week before it is released Apple will drop the price of the 8G iPhone $50 and introduce a 3G 32G iPhone, stuffing up RIM’s profit margins. Anyway, the competition is good.
Now if only the AppleTV was tweaked with wireless purchases and TV subscriptions.
They’re going to give Apple a RIM job?
With half their ass?
I don’t follow…
ME TOO ME TOO. I’m going to have a touchscreen implanted on my body woo hoo!
What do you call a half assed fake attempt at getting the job done?
A RIM job
So basically, without the iPhone they wouldn’t have bothered developing something new (and hopefully better) because they didn’t need to. Wow! How inspiring.
That’s what I love about Apple they constantly improve things because they want to make them better for themselves as much as anyone. Other companies only do things in the face of losing money – if then – more often than not it’s a round of cuts and cost cutting measures before they think of offering better products.
They’ve been circling this sensitive area for awhile.
And now RIM thinks they’ll thrust themselves into the eye of this storm and eventually lick the whole market.
You cracked me up.
I’m still laughing.
re: That’s what I love about Apple they constantly improve things because they want to make them better for themselves as much as anyone. Other companies only do things in the face of losing money – if then – more often than not it’s a round of cuts and cost cutting measures before they think of offering better products.
—
Yep!
And THAT is the exact reason why Apple is the most innovative company in the world, because they think out of the box.
Without Apple everyone on this planet would still be using computers the size of office buildings just to open a text document.
In business there are leaders and followers, the Leaders (e.g. Apple) innovate and move society and human development forward.
The followers (RIM and everyone else – including Microsoft) have no vision or original thought, they are blinded by their own lack of imagination and can only finally see the ‘vision’ when a leader (Apple) creates something.
It’s the way of the world, everyone wants to be a leader but in reality they can never be leaders – only followers..
Classic Ampar! ROFL
They think they can pluck the fruits of Apples work, and then stick it to them. They best be careful lest they stumble and fall in a hole. They shouldn’t spout of like that either. You know, “one slip of the tongue and they’re in deep —-.”
Yes, the iPhone is fun and cool. But the world is not changed – at least not very much – by glitzy gadgets.
All it takes to change the world is handing over twenty cents, Realist. You know, a paradigm shift.
If RIm had any vision what-so-ever they would have designed a touch-screen phone years ago long before Apple.
The technology was around 7-8 years ago to do it, so why didn’t they do it???
Why does it take a computer hardware and software company of no experience at all in the mobile phone market to create something that Nokia et all should have developed many years ago?
It was exactly the same with the iPod, why on earth didn’t Sony do what Apple did many years ago? They had the technology and the market sown up with the cd walkman.
This to me is the core of the problem – people just ‘cant see the wood for the trees’.
It’s a case of looking but not seeing or even realising that there are better solutions out there. All it takes is a questioning approach, listening to customers and some imagination.
3 qualities very very few companies these days possess.
But the CEO of RIM said that he hadn’t tried an iPhone yet, remember?? A revolutionary touch-screen device wasn’t important to him then…why should it be important to him now???
” And the plastic keyboards with Tic Tac-sized buttons begin their march into obscurity.”
Well, they better keep in mind that things have been “trending” towards buttony keyboards. And that you can’t text while driving with a touchscreen device.
“And that you can’t text while driving with a touchscreen device.”
I hope that anyone sending text messages while driving is the only to die in the accident.
RIM is good, and I definitely love my BlackBerry. The key advantage RIM will have in this arena is support for third party software, legitimately. Apple still hasn’t given us an iPhone SDK, and nobody knows how controlling Apple will be when it comes to applications. I can install a wide range of programs on my BlackBerry right now, no questions asked, and no hacking.
“is the only one” (Editing the hard way.)
It’s really going to be interesting to see what RIM comes up with. The iPhone’s covered by about 200 new patents. That means they’re going to have to come up with some really original ideas or settle for a second-best imitation.
RIM, though, does have some advantages. They have an unparalleled, secure world-wide e-mail network, which it’s large user-base values highly.
My guess is, that by the time RIM gets it’s act together, any (small) disadvantages that the iPhone might now have, will have been made good with third-party programmes, and then with all the patent-protected advantages it does have, the iPhone will win the day.
I wonder if RIM thinks this makes them look good?
It just confirms they’re also-rans, playing catch up and generally a bunch of wonks.