Introducing the BlackBerry PlayBook

The PlayBook is the newest product to be launched by RIM. It focuses specifically on business customers. It seems to be a direct alternative to Apple’s iPad. It runs on a 1GHz dual-core processor, comes with storages that range from 16GB to 64GB, a 7-inch display, and a dual 1080p High Definition camera for video capturing and conferencing. The PlayBook was launched with Wi-Fi capabilities.

On its launch day 50,000 BlackBerry PlayBook tablets were sold. In addition, shipments of up to 500,000 were being planned to BlackBerry Singapore, BlackBerry UK, and other BlackBerry signature stores worldwide. That is still a long way from Apple’s iPad, which entered the tablet market and conquered it. To date, Apple has sold over 25 million units since its launch. Even though Research in Motion has made its way into over 101 countries, the Playbook made its debut in 16 Countries spread across Europe, Asia, North, and South America, and still has to make its way to other shores. The launch strategy was shoddily planned, so Apple conquered the world in a matter of days and BlackBerry’s PlayBook seems to be inching its way to more places. It is clear that RIM needs to put more effort into their innovation strategy. For a company that came into the market with a virtually unknown kind of handset, at a time when people were unsure of how far technology would go, they should have been the ones leading the innovation pack, not trying to catch up.

It has a long way to go with Nokia fast on its heels and Apple leading it by millions of miles. This innovative company is floundering amidst the fast competition hitting it from all sides. They are partnering with various companies to make more services and applications available to users of a BlackBerry Smartphone. Now all Blackberry users can download paid-for applications along with their mobile subscriptions. It still remains a safer phone to use for business transactions and for that, it will never lose its popularity.

This is disheartening because already there is news of Research in Motion releasing two more versions of the PlayBook in 2011. This has more to do with the fact that the first tablet released was only Wi-Fi compatible and would not work so well in most other countries where Wi-Fi is a bit of a problem. The biggest hurdle that most products have to deal with is shipping and being compatible with the mobile network in the countries in which they are being sold. With shipping set for the middle of the year, it might be a while until the market feels the arrival of the tablet, or worse, it could just vanish into oblivion, thus making it much more difficult to buy BlackBerry.