Tag: blackpad

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Gadgets RIM

Price Of Blackberry PlayBook To Be Under $350?

Research in Motion unveiled their new PlayBook tablet computer earlier this week. The tablet is reported to come with twin 1GHz processors, a 1GB RAM, a 7″ display with 1024×600 pixel resolution, 5MP and 3MP camera on the rear-side and front, a QNX mobile OS and HDMI output features. With these splendid features on board, the price is definitely going to seal or break the deal.

According to John Jackson, an analyst at CCS Insight, the new Blackberry PlayBook could be priced between $300 and $350. Now let’s be fair; this is his personal speculation. But if Jackson’s statements turn out to be true, then the device could find itself to be aggressively positioned between the Samsung Galaxy Tab and the iPad. While the Wi-Fi only versions of the iPad are priced close to the $500 mark, the 3G-enabled Samsung Galaxy Tab is expected to be available at $300 after a carrier subsidy. With the PlayBook though, it could end up being all the more attractive considering that the device does not come with an independent data plan and is supposed to come paired with the user’s Blackberry plan. From that viewpoint, a $300-$350 price range is very attractive.

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Gadgets

Video Calling On Blackberry Messenger With New PlayBook?

Research In Motion finally unveiled their long rumored tablet computer yesterday. It turned out to be neither a BlackPad or a SurfBook. Instead, the new tablet shall be known as PlayBook and in RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis’ words, is the “first professional tablet“. So what is known about the PlayBook? For starters, it can run Adobe Flash, play games, display content from a paired Blackberry phone and will run on the QNX platform instead of the regular Blackberry OS. That last part is very much in alignment with earlier speculations.

But most importantly, it is rumored that RIM could be taking on Apple by launching a FaceTime alternative. The new PlayBook tablet will feature a front-facing in addition to a rear-facing camera. The presence of this camera is speculated to help in introducing a video chat functionality in the hugely popular Blackberry Messenger. With close to 35 million active users on BBM already, RIM should not have a tough job convincing people to use the new functionality.

The only contentious issue is that in the absence of an independent cellular plan, the PlayBook really cannot be offered at a subsidy by the carriers. How will RIM manage to increase the proliferation of this device without an independent contract? That should be interesting to watch.

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Gadgets RIM

RIM BlackPad Release Next Week – No Blackberry OS?

The Wall Street Journal has an interesting piece of article that claims that Research In Motion could be unveiling its upcoming tablet computer – known as BlackPad to some and Surf Book to others – as early as next week. The newspaper’s sources have claimed that the actual launch could happen in the fourth quarter of this year; a no-brainer considering that the quarter begins in just over a week from now.

What’s interesting is that RIM could actually do away with the Blackberry OS on the tablet computer and could instead go with a completely revamped operating system built by QNX. QNX is a maker of operating system software that is used in a wide array of industries and the company was acquired by RIM not so long ago. Indications are that Waterloo could move towards incorporating this new OS – touted to be a worthy competitor to iOS and Android – on the upcoming Blackberry handsets as well.

As of now, the company has not given any hint about the upcoming release. Let’s wait for an announcement then.

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Gadgets RIM

Name Of Blackberry Tablet – BlackPad?

We all know that the Canadian smartphone maker, RIM is working on a tablet device. We have also heard that the new Blackberry tablet will come with a 7-inch touchscreen screen, 1GHz Marvell Processor and two cameras – one on the front and another on the rear.

Now, there are fresh indications that the tablet PC from RIM could be named BlackPad. This comes from a recent revelation that the Blackberry makers have recently purchased the BlackPad.com domain name from its earlier owner. The website itself does not resolve to anything at the moment, though the WhoIs data for the domain name seems to confirm the current owner.

BlackPad in my opinion is a pretty pointless name. Not only does it fail to exploit the brand recall that “Berry” has to offer, but by taking the “pad” route, the company seems to be confiding the fact that they are in the market solely because Apple is here.

What do you think of the name, BlackPad?

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Gadgets RIM

BlackPad To Run On Blackberry OS

The title sounds so obvious, right? But well, the Blackberry Pad aka Blackberry Cobalt or BlackPad as it is commonly known was initially supposed to run on Android OS and it is said the executives at Research In Motion decided to do away with the plan and gravitated towards the native Blackberry OS at the very last minute.

This is one of the reasons why we are seeing a delayed launch of the Blackberry tablet device since the company has to now work on the software to help it adapt to the new form factor of the BlackPad. The device is expected to launch only next year.

Meanwhile, it is also rumored that the tablet device could be running on Marvell’s Armada processor and Quanta shall be RIM’s manufacturing partner.

[via The Street]