RIM showed off its “PlayBook” tablet “for the first time Monday and is set to launch it in early 2011. With it RIM is betting on a smaller, lighter device than Apple’s iPad,” Omar El Akkad reports for The Globe and Mail Update.
“The PlayBook will have a 7-inch screen, making it half the size of the iPad, and weigh about 0.9 pounds to the iPad’s 1.5 pounds,” El Akkad reports. “And unlike the iPad [so far], it will have two cameras, front and back. Outside of Wi-Fi range, it will be able to pick up cellular service to access the Web by linking to a BlackBerry.”
MacDailyNews Note: Apple’s iPad features a 9.7-inch screen. Obviously, Apple has cornered the market on screens of that size and consigned the also-rans to 7-inch screens or smaller for an extended period of time. About that, we laugh daily.
RIM’s “PlayBook” specs include:
• 7″ LCD, 1024 x 600, WSVGA, capacitive touch screen with “full multi-touch and gesture support”
• BlackBerry Tablet OS with support for symmetric multiprocessing
• 1 GHz dual-core processor
• 1 GB RAM
• Dual HD cameras (3 MP front facing, 5 MP rear facing), supports 1080p HD video recording
• Video playback: 1080p HD Video, H.264, MPEG, DivX, WMV
• Audio playback: MP3, AAC, WMA
• HDMI video output
• Wi-Fi – 802.11 a/b/g/n
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• Connectors: microHDMI, microUSB, charging contacts
• Support for WebKit/HTML-5, Adobe Flash Player 10.1, Adobe Mobile AIR, Adobe Reader, POSIX, OpenGL, Java
• 5.1″x7.6″x0.4″ (130mm x 193mm x 10mm)
• 0.9 lb or 400g)
• RIM intends to also offer 3G and 4G models in the future
• Retail price TBD/TBA
El Akkad reports, “And in another move Monday, perhaps its most aggressive attempt to gain ground on its rivals, RIM launched its own version of an advertising network, designed to give developers a bigger revenue stream and users access to ad-supported apps. RIM has partnered with five ad networks to create an inventory of ads for developers. The strategy aims to put RIM on equal footing with Apple Inc. and Google Inc., which have both purchased ad network firms in the past.”
“RIM is also building another service that allows developers to design in-app payment services,” El Akkad reports. “The new tool comes after RIM struck a deal with AT&T to allow customers to purchase products from the BlackBerry applications store and have the purchases automatically charged to their carrier bills.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Futile.
Apple rivals are probably taking Alan Kay’s advice to Jobs too literally and decided to make a *device* that is 5×8 instead of the screen size.
Apple rivals are probably taking Alan Kay’s advice to Jobs too literally and decided to make a *device* that is 5×8 instead of the screen size.
You know I love that I can 2 hand type on the iPad and two finger type on the iPhone – Not sure I could do either on a 7″ device – too small for 2 hands and too big to reach the center with 2 fingers..
You know I love that I can 2 hand type on the iPad and two finger type on the iPhone – Not sure I could do either on a 7″ device – too small for 2 hands and too big to reach the center with 2 fingers..
What about patents? It seems that since Apple created most of what we are going to be seeing in the tablet market in form and function, why arn’t the Apple patent police all over this stuff? Gestures, swiping, pop out keyboards, etc. Surely theses wannabes have to be crossing the lune somewhere!
What about patents? It seems that since Apple created most of what we are going to be seeing in the tablet market in form and function, why arn’t the Apple patent police all over this stuff? Gestures, swiping, pop out keyboards, etc. Surely theses wannabes have to be crossing the lune somewhere!
The whole point is equate a seven incher to a 9.7. Only in WS do they hope torepeat a lie often enough that everyone will accept that 7 inches equal 9.7 inches.
It provides cover for their manipulation of the market.
The whole point is equate a seven incher to a 9.7. Only in WS do they hope torepeat a lie often enough that everyone will accept that 7 inches equal 9.7 inches.
It provides cover for their manipulation of the market.
And, did I miss it or was there no mention of battery life?
And, did I miss it or was there no mention of battery life?
These cretins of WS are hoping to bamboozle apple into making a 7 inch product to legitimize the category. Until then they will just repeat the lie that 7 inches equates to 9.7 inches. Only in America.
These cretins of WS are hoping to bamboozle apple into making a 7 inch product to legitimize the category. Until then they will just repeat the lie that 7 inches equates to 9.7 inches. Only in America.
Available MAYBE late Q1 2011. I’m sure by then RIM will have a rich ecosystem that’ll make everyone dump their iWhatevers in a heartbeat. Yup. Apple’s screwed now.
Available MAYBE late Q1 2011. I’m sure by then RIM will have a rich ecosystem that’ll make everyone dump their iWhatevers in a heartbeat. Yup. Apple’s screwed now.
If it runs Flash well then it does have a unique feature iPad doesn’t.
I can see people who just really like flash and enjoy interactive websites buying this.
But I would trade off interactive websites for the apple apps, which are very useful.
If it runs Flash well then it does have a unique feature iPad doesn’t.
I can see people who just really like flash and enjoy interactive websites buying this.
But I would trade off interactive websites for the apple apps, which are very useful.
This thing also has a brand new OS that RIM bought. I know why RIM had to do that, but it would have been a lot better if they had got the OS out the door a year or two ago inside a RIM phone. Now they will be a good 3.5 years behind. It is hard to believe this thing will present a refined user experience.
Again, what is the: Price, battery life, telco contract?
Those things will determine the possibility of this gizmo surviving more than all the specs in the world.
This thing also has a brand new OS that RIM bought. I know why RIM had to do that, but it would have been a lot better if they had got the OS out the door a year or two ago inside a RIM phone. Now they will be a good 3.5 years behind. It is hard to believe this thing will present a refined user experience.
Again, what is the: Price, battery life, telco contract?
Those things will determine the possibility of this gizmo surviving more than all the specs in the world.
so……let me get this straight. To check your mail on the playbook, you need to connect with your blackberry phone which already has mail….I think they missed a point somewhere….
so……let me get this straight. To check your mail on the playbook, you need to connect with your blackberry phone which already has mail….I think they missed a point somewhere….
Look at those specks!
I got a stifffy just reading them.
If RIM had a decent OS they could cause some major damage.
Look at those specks!
I got a stifffy just reading them.
If RIM had a decent OS they could cause some major damage.
“… Obviously, Apple has cornered the market on screens of that size and consigned the also-rans to 7-inch screens or smaller for an extended period of time. About that, we laugh daily.
…”
MDN, you should be a lawyer.
“… Obviously, Apple has cornered the market on screens of that size and consigned the also-rans to 7-inch screens or smaller for an extended period of time. About that, we laugh daily.
…”
MDN, you should be a lawyer.
BlackPad, PlayBook.
Those marketing idiots.
Call it BlackBook. Everyone with ‘a pair’ will want one.