RIM introduces it's tablet.. the PlayBook (1 Viewer)

[ManW_TheUncool]

EDIT: Heheh... Looks like Matt responded while I "stepped away" for a bit in between writing my own response.



Hanson,


For business presentation purposes, no easily portable screen is ever big enough -- unless all you do is pitch stuff during your commuter flight or something like that. I'm sure that's why this RIM tablet has 1080p output via HDMI because that's what you want to feed a FP system to do the business presentations. The tablet doesn't need 1080p for its own screen, but for being a conduit (of sorts) for high quality presentation (w/ some likely modest ability to create content towards that end).


Sure, a bigger device screen can help even when doing your presentation on a FP system because you may need/want to do something on the device itself where the larger screen matters during the presentation, but it won't matter if you cannot pump high quality output to a FP system.


I'm guessing there's a way to get at least 720i output (via analog component video) from the iPad since I've seen some sort of add-on gadget to get that out of the iPhone and iPod Touch, but I have no idea what kind of quality that really gives and whether that's good enough for a quality FP presentation. Also, it's quite possible (even likely) that many businesses already moved pass the analog video phase for their FP setups -- certainly, it's much easier to manage HDMI connectivity than analog component video, and easy-of-use and reliability should be vital for this kind of thing -- so the iPad probably isn't suitable at all for this.


Also, it sounds like the Samsung Galaxy tablet will also have HDMI output (or something similar) and can pump out 1080p.


Besides video output, the built-in video cam on the PlayBook (and Galaxy Tab), which is missing on the current iPad, might also be more useful for business purposes as you found out firsthand w/ live video chat/conferencing on your Android smartphone.


_Man_

 

[Hanson]

You may want to scale back your anticipation. And definitely don't hold your breath:

http://www.loopinsight.com/2010/09/30/rim-unveils-the-playbook-and-a-bag-of-unicorns/



The Playbook OS is QNX. RIM purchased QNX in April. They are announcing Playbook for "early 2011". Are they going to be able to create a competent, bug free touch UI from scratch in the space of a year from design to market? It took over three years between Google's acquisition of Android to the introduction of the G1, and that was barely competent and not at all bug free. Perhaps not having 3G radios will shorten dev time. But an early 2011 release sound ultra-ambitious and a bit fanciful.

 

[DaveF]

Has RIM introduced anything more than a computer-generated demo video? From what I've read, no one has seen or used any actual hardware.

 

[mattCR]

Ah, for all the talk of Unicorns, RIM produced working models and let people at the Adobe MIX conference play with them today, showing off AIR. Apparently, part of their issue was that Adobe had not announced the Air platform which will back the apps on the Playbook.. (and several other devices)


http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/25/blackberry-playbook-demoed-in-the-flesh-at-adobe-max-air-based/

RIM's PlayBook just got real -- quite literally -- at Adobe's MAX conference today. Granted, out-of-the-box Flash and Air support are being billed as a big deal for the PlayBook, but it still seems a little strange that the company showed non-functional dummies running video loops encased in Plexiglas at its developer conference just a few weeks back, only to let Adobe show the good stuff at its own event here. There is some logic behind it, for what it's worth: Adobe and RIM have announced availability today of an Air SDK targeting the PlayBook's QNX-based platform with deep hardware integration, giving devs plenty of ramp-up time considering that the tablet won't be available until early next year. Kobo was among the companies on-hand to talk about the sheer awesomeness of the dev environment, and the general attitude toward the PlayBook's ease of development seems to be a positive one; we all know how important third-party apps are to a mobile platform's success at this point, of course, so we'll need a few thousand more Kobos on board to leave these guys with a happy ending. Check the full demo from the MAX keynote stage after the break.

Developers may be receiving playbooks (free) to start working on apps with soon, or so says their CEO. Unicorns in deed.

 

[DaveF]

I don't know about unicorns, but it seemed odd to have a big announcement only to show...special effects videos... Compare, as always, to Apple. New hardware announced. Then everyone walks to the next room to play with the new hardware. Well, except for the White iPhone. But it's white, like unicorns, so probably requires real unicorn hair to make. Which is hard to come by. Especially in China.



Ok: so what's all this Adobe Air QNX mean? Is sounds like the Playbook's OS is Flash? How's this compare to iOS and Android and WP7?

 

[mattCR]

No, it means Adobe has come up with an AIR cross development platform that allows with one SDK to develop for WP7, Android, QNX (Playbook) and then the SDK will provide the hooks for each device/OS type.

This isn't the "only" way to develop for Playbook, they are just saying that if you latch on, and you develop with AIR, you'll get support on all three platforms at once, while being able to provide unique options in each.

Since Android and WP7 will also run basically anything created with the AIR2.5 platform, it's good news for them as well, of sorts. And for developers, if it works out, it means one shot nets all three.

 

[mattCR]

This is a much more impressive youtube of it, with more features detailed.







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This may not resonate with everyone, but they start out with an MRI scan multiview (MedINRIA I think) .... that demonstration is the kind of thing that gets enterprise people to say "oh". Impact to end user? I don't think much; but if this will connect to a Hospital VPN and do MedINRIA or DDI, they will sell a fair clip of them just to that market.

 

[Sam Posten]

They seem to be out of their depth a little but stll ahead of anyone but Apple. Looks like they may actually pull it off!

 

[Sam Posten]

Good news, it will be under $500

http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/10/blackberry-playbook-to-cost-under-500/


Bad news, launching some time in Q1 it will be up against the second generation iPad....

 

[DaveF]

Is that subsidized with a 2 yr contract? Or straight purchase?


I'm not a blackberry user, but I can't fathom who wants the PlayBook. In my experience, Hardcore BB users buy it for the keyboard. Casual users buy it for a simpler device (than an Android or iPhone) that has a keyboard for email. And companies that are locked into BB as a corporate phone are, in my perception, slow and conservative--not at all the places that will adopt a new touchscreen device for novel business use.


It's going to be a curious 2011 with all these new phones and tablets competing.

 

[Sam Posten]

No it won't. The losers will crash and burn quite quickly ala Kin and, to a lesser extent, Palm.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Originally Posted by DaveF


And companies that are locked into BB as a corporate phone are, in my perception, slow and conservative--not at all the places that will adopt a new touchscreen device for novel business use.

I wonder if my company will do something for the Playbook since most of our clients are corporate clients needing financial data services -- we already provide some sort of mobile app for the BBs though it's nothing fancy AFAIK.


I would imagine if somebody cannot convince Bloomberg and/or Thomson Reuters to create apps for the Playbook, then there's probably not a whole lot of hope for it in the financial industry world.


_Man_

 

[DaveF]

Could be. My experience with the BB are coworkers and inlaws with BB's cybernetically implanted into their hands for constant email use away from the office.


Of those that got a Storm for work, they all hated it.


I can't see any of them benefitting from a playbook. But I'm really outside my turf here

 

[mattCR]

Dave:


Straight purchase, no contract (because it's not 3G, Wifi) will be under $500, and they are currently running mini-pitches to larger BES clients.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

But wouldn't you need to pay extra to get tethering for data service via your choice of wireless provider anyway? So if you get this, chances are you'll still end up paying for additional service anyway -- and that's besides whatever data plan quotas you might have.


I know my company's not currently paying the extra to allow tethering on my BB Tour.


_Man_

 

[DaveF]

And from the always amusing, sometimes hallucinatory, Paul Thurrott:

It looks like RIM is going to try and undercut iPad pricing with its upcomingBlackBerry PlayBook. This is very wise: The iPad is overpriced, and thanks to this pricing, the competing tablets coming from the Android world and elsewhere are coming in too high as well. Note, too, that the PlayBook as a 7-inch screen, which is far more desirable than the too-large iPad, though I still don't give RIM much of a chance here.

http://community.winsupersite.com/blogs/paul/archive/2010/11/10/119508.aspx



And is "under $500" code for $499, the same as an iPad? Or is it really under $500, like $425? That is, like everyone else, it's priced the same as an iPad but with a smaller screen, no appstore, and no traction entering against iPad 2. But, to borrow from Hudsucker Proxy, "It's for Businesses!"


2011 is going to be interesting

 

[mattCR]

Originally Posted by ManW_TheUncool


_Man_

Tether to what? Kind of like WiFi ipad... ?

 

[Patrick Sun]

The Data tethering feature on blackberries (and other smart devices) typically cost $12-$15 more to the existing blackberry data plans at the various cell phone providers. It allows you to use your blackberry as a data modem to a PC or laptop or a playbook.

 

[mattCR]

Well, RIM is sure taking every effort to show this thing off in live usage to let it be seen, so they are definitely running their own hype machine.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s72rGDUn2uo&feature=player_embedded

 

[mattCR]

Engadget gets a short hands on:


http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/16/blackberry-playbook-first-hands-on-video/#disqus_thread


(Note: the video that they have up is encoded at a really s--- rate, which isn't just the pad, it's their hands and everything else are not of the best fluidity.. but it gets the point across)


Speculation now that RIM is ahead of schedule and these may street in early January.