RIM's 9.7-inch Blackpad rumored for November launch -- yes, Blackpad

We were secretly hoping that RIM's acquisition of the blackpad.com domain name was nothing more than a joke (or a preventative measure, at worse), but it sure sounds as if that'll be the name the folks in Waterloo go with come this winter. According to unnamed sources who have unloaded new information to Bloomberg, RIM's first tablet will actually be "introduced in November," though there's no clear indication as to when it'll ship. Said sources have also stated that the device will sport a 9.7-inch display, inbuilt WiFi and Bluetooth, and a downright comical Blackpad label. We get the BlackBerry link and all, but really? Here's hoping for a last minute change of heart.

[Thanks, Simon]

[Hydra Posted Jul 30th 2010 12:54PM]

They should call it the "dingleberry"

[strawe Posted Jul 30th 2010 12:56PM]

@Hydra
*Looks out my window at RIM Park*
*Points and laughs*

[statickeith Posted Jul 30th 2010 1:07PM]

@Hydra BlackPad actually sounds kinda racist! Even iPad sounds better LOLZ!

[loocas Posted Jul 30th 2010 1:09PM]

@statickeith WTF is racist about a color, man?! o_O

[TheNotoriousROB Posted Jul 30th 2010 1:12PM]

@ok Android looks so ugly its fun

I concur. Blackpad actually sounds kinda badass. Better than adding an "i" to a noun and selling it as an new magical apple device.

Can't wait to see this thing, maybe it'll be a blown up Storm 3.

[collindow Posted Jul 30th 2010 1:14PM]

@loocas
You may not be in America, but for some reason a huge number of people here in the States consider "black" to be pretty much inherently racist. Tis the unfortunate result of years of political correctness everywhere.
Of course, you may be in the U.S., just a part that isn't completely PC'ed into oblivion.

[HotFuzz Posted Jul 30th 2010 1:15PM]

I thought Steve Ballmer said these things are supposed to be called "slates?" Doesn't everyone know that Steve Ballmer has his finger on the pulse of the future? Or a fresh, delicious churro. One or the other. Maybe the churro.

*looks up release info on HP iSlate*

Yep, definitely the churro.

[loocas Posted Jul 30th 2010 1:18PM]

@collindow You guessed right, I don't live in the US. And I don't get the racist remarks based on color description.

Also homosexuality - yet another chapter in the US ridiculousness hall-of-fame...

[fbales Posted Jul 30th 2010 1:19PM]

@Hydra

LOL, love it!

[sweet greggo part deux Posted Jul 30th 2010 1:21PM]

They should get Samuel L. Jackson to sell it...

GET THIS MUTHERFCUKING PAD IN YOUR MUTHERFCUKING HOUSE!!!

[crichton007 Posted Jul 30th 2010 1:26PM]

@Hydra Yes, that would be better than BlackPad. Either way you slice it this product has Fail written all over it.

[grub Posted Jul 30th 2010 1:29PM]

@loocas Remember the "iBeat Blaxx"? http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/24/trekstor-showcases-i-beat-blaxx-portable-media-player/

[NiKoLaSm Posted Jul 30th 2010 1:31PM]

You know, if it is any good at what it is supposed to do (I am assuming it is geared at business peeps), I don't care WTF they call it.

[scl23enN4m3 Posted Jul 30th 2010 1:34PM]

@Hydra

They should have at least stuck with the 'berry' suffix. I'd take DrawBerry over Blackpad...

[One Love Posted Jul 30th 2010 1:38PM]

@Hydra : Hey Baby, wanna see my BlackPad?...Holla, Holla, Holla!

[Plazmic Flame Posted Jul 30th 2010 1:40PM]

@ok Android looks so ugly its fun

Looks like AOL...

*put on glasses*

...is SOL.

[daytripper Posted Jul 30th 2010 1:45PM]

@collindow
Black is not a racist word. I don't know what overly PC city you live in (San Francisco?), but in Texas black is not racist. If they had named it ni****berry, then that would be racist.

[iRaNDrOiD Posted Jul 30th 2010 1:49PM]

@scl23enN4m3
The DrewBerrymore iMaxiPad

[Dank Dillweed Posted Jul 30th 2010 1:57PM]

@Hydra

Would you like to look at our new "RIMpad"?

Seriously, I think "Blackslate" sounds cool. Or, they can take it full circle, and call it a "BlackBoard", and put that blackboard paint on the back cover, and include a box of sidewalk chalk.

[modemuphile2 Posted Jul 30th 2010 2:15PM]

@collindow

I don't see how "BlackPad" is racist either. I'm also black and live in the San Francisco Bay area.

[ImSpartacus Posted Jul 30th 2010 2:21PM]

@TheNotoriousROB I agree that Baclpad is a sweet name, but you can't deny that Apple has made millions by adding "i" to nouns.

[crawcraw Posted Jul 30th 2010 2:22PM]

@modemuphile2 I agree. I'm in Georgia. Is WhitePad racist? no..

I just think the name is kinda dumb. [any color]Pad is a dumb name.

How about RockPad or The SL8T

[High Posted Jul 30th 2010 2:23PM]

@ok Android looks so ugly its fun

Yeah they have no room to laugh except all the way to the bank from the traffic generated by people like you who apparently stare down and laugh at them. Blackpad though seriously? I know the iPad isn't the greatest name but blackpad sounds like what happens to the "iPad" after it's been used and left out to dry for a few days.

[crawcraw Posted Jul 30th 2010 2:24PM]

@crawcraw how about the RIMjob?

[Firehazel Posted Jul 30th 2010 2:55PM]

@sweet greggo part deux Hey, then maybe I'd be able to get one, my mom loves Sam J.

[Nitesh Posted Jul 30th 2010 3:10PM]

@Hydra
We now go to Ollie Williams for the black u weather forecast. Ollie?

ITS GONNA FAIL.

[anotherworld Posted Jul 30th 2010 3:13PM]

@modemuphile2 You lucky bastard, the weather must be spectacular all year long.

[saturno Posted Jul 30th 2010 3:19PM]

@Hydra

http://kibeloco.com.br/files/104/2010/07/Star-Wars-Yoga.jpg

[Duke Posted Jul 30th 2010 3:29PM]

@Dank Dillweed
Love the idea of BlackBoard. It's clever and invites advertising ideas as opposed to the same ol use of pad.

[Craig Posted Jul 30th 2010 4:47PM]

@Hydra
RIM are clearly hoping that once you go Blackpad, you'll never go back. Pad.

[531m Posted Jul 30th 2010 5:10PM]

@ok Android looks so ugly its fun. ....I wish it was a joke name and not out of some bias or perhaps smugness you imply of Engadget. Products with poor branding don't succeed in America. So I hate to see poor marketing doom a potentially great product. If they really need to cram some portion of BlackBerry into the name theyd do better with SlateBerry.

[sviola Posted Jul 30th 2010 5:12PM]

@grub

[quote]"Remember the "iBeat Blaxx"? http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/24/trekstor-showcases-i-beat-blaxx-portable-media-player/"[/quote]

And yet, Engadget didn't comment on the name...go figure...

[Spidermanweb Posted Jul 30th 2010 5:31PM]

@Hydra

LMAO!!

[fu2ure Posted Jul 30th 2010 5:35PM]

@strawe I honestly think this post is very true because look, RIM took the loss for those years it didnt come out with something new when the competition was being brewed between Apple and Google... THey wanted to see what was deemed the best and expand on what the BB had dominated before for a sure and longterm win... The BlackPad will be powered by the new BB O.6.. Think about the interface, hence why they added the touch and feel part of it to the phone, same way it could be on the Black Pad, if you have and Iphone get and Ipad, if you have a Blackberry 9000+ get the Black pad... Imagine BBM on you Black Pad... If it doesn't happen this way I think RIM should contact me and grant me royalties for a Brilliant Idea...

[blazeofglory Posted Jul 30th 2010 5:42PM]

@HotFuzz

you, sir, win today's prize

(or you would... if we had one... which we don't)

[H264 Posted Jul 30th 2010 6:27PM]

@Hydra
If only RIM and Jobs joined together to create the ultimate phone.
RIMJobs

[That guy 2 Posted Jul 30th 2010 6:37PM]

@Hydra Bloomberg is full of crap as usual, and of you say it's dumb for apple to stick an i before a noun your stupid, cause that's just what they do with every product, get used to it, it's just a name, droid is a star wars word, I can say that's stupid too, but i won't cause I don't care, and it's just a name, and it's not really stupid, neither is "i"

[Arayta Posted Jul 30th 2010 7:45PM]

@sviola

Haha there was a music player called i.Beat blaxx? That sounds like a tool for committing southern hate crimes. ;D

[scotty1024 Posted Jul 30th 2010 11:48PM]

@sweet greggo part deux

Well hell man if you're going to get Samuel L Fuckin Jackson to pitch it they should call it the Angry Black Pad.

[josah Posted Jul 31st 2010 12:08AM]

@crawcraw Few things annoy me the way putting a T after an 8 annoys me. 8T should be read like eighty, but no. NO. IT NEVER IS. We just MAGICALLY PRETEND that there was NEVER A T sound in the number eighT to begin with, and throw that extra T at the end! Got the vanity plate blues? Just replace the letter A with the number 8! Sure, it makes NO SENSE WHATSOEVER, but who cares, AMIRITE?

[Justin Goldbegr Posted Jul 31st 2010 3:39AM]

@loocas because any word used by another race to describe a different race becomes racist.

Holla!

[Juggernaut408 Posted Jul 30th 2010 12:54PM]

The name is MUCH better than the Maxi-Pad I mean iPad.......

[techadditct Posted Jul 30th 2010 1:12PM]

@Juggernaut408
Why is this now a breaking news?????
Comon Engadget... Every piece of apple crap makes it to the Breaking news list...
Apple just took a dump..???
New fart application for you idevice???

[techadditct Posted Jul 30th 2010 1:13PM]

@techadditct
I mean why is this not a breaking news???

[Juggernaut408 Posted Jul 30th 2010 1:18PM]

@techadditct Agreed, I also feel that Engadget hords on Apple NEWS.

[Supporting Caste Posted Jul 30th 2010 1:38PM]

@techadditct why would a rumor for something at least 3 months away from being announced be breaking news? I may be wrong, but I don't think engadget put breaking news on all the iPad rumors.

[Jack Posted Jul 30th 2010 1:39PM]

@Juggernaut408

You probably feel that way because you're not very smart. You could try paying attention to what Engadget is actually posting, but of course then you wouldn't have any imaginary bias to cry about.

[daytripper Posted Jul 30th 2010 1:55PM]

@Jack
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........('(...´...´.... ¯~/'...')
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[techadditct Posted Jul 30th 2010 2:03PM]

@Jack
Imaginary??? do you have vision problems???
Go check out the daily roundup articles on engadget for last 1 year (if you have nothing productive to do)... and you will realize what I mean...all the red dots on that map will be apple crap!!
Agreed, apple shit sells... and so does its news... but it gets ridiculous in here...bashing companies that target apple, even if there is a 9.000001 update for itunes.. you will see a post here..????
By the way...
I own a macbook
I own 2 ipods
I used to own an iphone....
So i am no apple hater....

[TheJason Posted Jul 30th 2010 2:09PM]

@Juggernaut408

That's right up there with the IBEATBLAXX MP3 player:

http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2007/08/30/ibeatblaxx-wins-most-racist-mp3-player-award/