“BlackBerry maker Research In Motion brushed off suggestions on Thursday that it would discontinue production of its PlayBook computer tablet as ‘pure fiction’ after an analyst said the company may be considering an exit from the market,” Alastair Sharp reports for Reuters. “‘Rumors suggesting that the BlackBerry PlayBook is being discontinued are pure fiction,’ RIM spokeswoman Marisa Conway said in an emailed statement. ‘RIM remains highly committed to the tablet market and the future of QNX in its platform.'”
Sharp reports, “A Collins Stewart analyst said on Thursday that RIM may have halted PlayBook production and canceled additional tablet projects. ‘We believe RIM has stopped production of its PlayBook and is actively considering exiting the tablet market,’ Collins Stewart semiconductor analyst John Vihn wrote in a note. He cited last week’s news that contract manufacturer Quanta Computer had laid off a significant number of workers at a factory focused on producing the PlayBook. ‘Additionally, our due diligence indicates that RIM has canceled development of additional tablet projects,’ Vihn wrote.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: What’s the difference? Nobody’s buying DCW’s tablets either way.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Ross” for the heads up.]
It would be a big mistake for RIM to cancel its tablet. The first try was flawed, but to throw out the entire investment at this point would be silly. Simple software improvements could make a huge difference.
Unless, of course, RIM doesn’t have enough money to develop its new touch screen smartphone, and needs the resources from the tablet area to fund a new phone. That’s much more important to RIM’s survival than a tablet.
You don’t get it. It’s dead. RIM has no content like Amazon or Apple. And QNX isn’t taking with consumers, along with 7″ screen being a hard sell. Nobody wants it for all these reasons and more and there’s nothing RIM can do about it. They could release a 10″ Tablet and still nobody would buy it, even at a good price. RIM is missing too many pieces to the platform puzzle: one major one being content.
All I have to do is make one small change to illustrate the flaws in your statement:
It would be a big mistake for HP to cancel its tablet. The first try was flawed, but to throw out the entire investment at this point would be silly. Simple software improvements could make a huge difference.
You can argue that it was a mistake for HP, too. Yet it happened. So it’s certainly not inconceivable that RIM would do likewise.
Wrong.
You haven’t studied RIM have you? First, the PlayBook won’t feel because they have no content. It’s a deadend compared to the iPad and Fire, especially now that the Fire is $199.
Second, RIM DOES NOT have the cash to burn at all. They could run out of cash in 1 quarter. They have $1.4 billion in cash total after decades in business. RIM simply doesn’t have the cash to wait it out and continue to lose money. It’s sinking them.
The PlayBook is selling pretty much at a loss now and RIM will exit in 3 months because they don’t have the money on hand to lose.
This is a dead company walking.
Please press on RIM! The sooner you’re gone the sooner the market can get around to actually competing with Apple.
What about the rumors of Research In Motion discontinuation?
‘Rumors suggesting that the ship is sinking are pure fiction,’ Titanic spokeswoman Marisa Conway said in gurgled statement.
Ironically, the Playbook does not come with an app to download and read fiction…
Ironically, just like the Playbook’s usability and popularity…pure fiction. ha HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaa I kill me, and so are you…..what?!…………..
Apple versus RIM? Big-leaguered vs. Beleaguered
+1 🙂
The market start of the Amazon Kindle fire for only 199 $ will be the final casket nail for the play book.
If the Amazon Fire was based on a PlayBook and sells for $200, why would anybody be tempted to pay a hell of a lot extra for a PlayBook ?
It’s hard to imagine any scenario where the PlayBook or it’s successors could become a viable business proposition. If RIM are not cancelling the project immediately, then it would be very bad news for RIM shareholders.
RIM came, saw, took centre stage, shot itself in the foot and hobbled off again.
Post-amateur hour is hereby now over.
hey Baghdad Bob, the folks at RIM have a great public relations job for you……..hurry…… I mean really hurry.
Job may not last as long as your last one……….
Sell the damn company while your brand still has some worth. Their patents and name are worth something still.