RIM BlackPad tablet priced at $499 when it ships in November?
By Thomas Ricker 
posted August 9th 2010 6:14AM
posted August 9th 2010 6:14AM
posted August 9th 2010 6:14AM
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I want a Windows Embedded Tables already!
@ramia
Wow wow whoaa
This needs hdmi out and tethering through Blackberry phones too, don't let RIM forget...
@KM
BB OS isn't great for consumption is it? I don't think I need 9.7 inches of email and messaging. Unless it has a keyboard but then i might as well get a netvertible.
@ramia
LOL. Do they think they can actually make this succeed?!? At least the joke of their OS can be excused on the phones because the BBM and mail works flawlessly and people don't buy them for apps like Symbian, WinMo and iOS.
But a $500 brick that runs their stupid OS? Please. Atleast the iPad works and is expandable through apps and jailbreaking, even if it is overpriced.
@Kurian
I do not understand. The Blackberry OS is rock stable, highly secure and runs anything I need it to. I have 33 apps installed on my 9700 and the other day I ran them all at once. The phone ran just fine.
The UI is clean and simple tio use and very logically laid out.
Thge browser does most of what I want but I am a). never far from a real PC and b). the new WebKit browser is supposed to be a killer.
I just don't get what your beef is
@Kurian There's no way this could work with the shape RIM's in right now. Every time they stray from their same boring designs, they fail miserably.
RIM: "We haven't made a successful touchscreen phone yet, have no apps or developers & our OS is painfully ancient compared to iOS & Android. I know, lets do a tablet!" *Everyone at the meeting high fives each other*
RIM is a joke nowadays. And this is coming from a former longtime user. But a blind man could see they dont know WTF they're doing.
@Kurian If it's so overpriced, why has nobody yet released a decent competitor?
This says something when Engadget draws their news about BlackBerry from an Apple fan site... o_O
@tobsmonster2 these things will sell like hot cakes in the business world
@tobsmonster2
Well, I'm guessing it's aimed towards business users. And I can see it succeeding, since the iPad (nor the iPhone for that matter) have yet. But have they fixed the OS yet, to make it perfectly usable and natural on a touchscreen? (I haven't been paying attention to blackberry news)
@CDice
*havent
@ramia
SMDH......
Newayz, with that dying dino of an OS, this is just going to kill itself, along with its lack of apps and legacy UI. But... some BB diehards, will pick it up, no doubt.
I for one would go with a webOS tablet over this, with its even fewer apps just because the OS is THAT damn good! If you haven't used it.... go test a Pre NOW! You just dont know what your missing!! As long as there's great hardware features (dual cams, hi-res screen, and hdmi-out to name a few - most-DEF needs wifi-N as well), I'll get one along with that rumored Droid+FiOS tablet... I miss the cards interface of my Pre a little =\, but LOVING my EVO
@rederikus
I see what you're trying to say about RIM and defend the OS but really, RIM has shot themselves in the foot by underspecing their devices in the past, most recently the best example is the Torch. I highly suggest you go look at more videos of the device in action and even go try one out yourself in the stores, if you live in the USA. They absolutely blew it by putting a slow processor in there. Although the webkit browser is a huge step up from the previous browser, the EXPERIENCE is still not up to par.
See, the key thing is the EXPERIENCE of using the device. There needs to be a smoothness to it that makes the user feel like they are in control of everything the device does and it has to be responsive. Right now, device responsiveness ranks like this:
1) WP7
2) iOS
3) Android OS
4) Blackberry OS
Trust me when I say that there is a huge gap between the Android OS and the Blackberry OS. Blackberry doesn't even come close to the other 3 really. Plus, even as great as the BB OS might seem, putting that on a 9 inch tablet ain't going to make it any better, especially if they keep using these crap processors. RIM better bring their A+++ game this time or they're going to botch it again and they better get a different/new OS for their tablet.
If it's the same OS, they'll blow it again...
@Plazmic Flame
Your list is a little off. It should be:
1. iOS
2. Android
3. WebOS
4. WP7?
5. MeeGo ?
6. Blackberry OS?
@Kurian Yes! It's not just the form factor but the OS as well and BB OS does not have the goods.
tablet*?
tablet* ?
@ramia
I'm quite sick of hearing you people on here and cnet asking for a windows tablet when there already one out.
ThinkPad X Series Tablet
touchscreen with stylus and has windows 7
http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:category.details?current-catalog-id=12F0696583E04D86B9B79B0FEC01C087¤t-category-id=329576204C9E42289967E79E0E7C9A2D
@neojubei Not talkin' bout Win7 dumbass.
@ramia
Well you can probably find one without windows 7.
God help us, this is going to be a total disaster. Just pipe down RIM.
@Calx
They might pull something out of their bag of tricks. Don't be a wet blanket...
@SolidSnake Did you not see the massive disappointment that was the 'Torch'?
No way RIM are going to get their OS in order in time to make this viable.
Kay, sorry for the mess. Just gonna downrank myself now
I would have loved the windows courier!
Then who's gonna build me an asianpad? or whitepad for that matter?
@petemt
I want the GreenPad ty.
@Ceyran
They were going to call it the BlackAndWhitePad but someone showed them a Kindle.
Oh god please do not call it the BlackPad.
I imagine the conversation went something like this:
"how much does the iPad cost?"
"$499"
"sweet so blackpad will be $499 too."
....
Fuck I hate RIM.
@jellotime91
also:
"What screen size should we choose?"
"The iPad has a 9.7" "
"Great , let's use that"
@Accelerator also:
"How many should we build?"
"The iPad sold over 2 million in the first couple of months"
"Great, let's build 2 million of them"
@jellotime91
Exactly! God forbid they try to follow the only tablet success there has been.
/sarcasm.
Seriously people! I am not an Apple fan in the least, but Apple is pretty much the only one to sell a tablet in decent numbers, and you guys want to fault a competitor which would like to try the same strategy! Tablets have been out for years and Apple comes along and is pretty much the only one to have decent success at it, whether you like it or not.
I can't fault RIM for creating a competitor at a similar price point. I just hope they bump the specs up for Blackberry 6 OS. Imagine a 1GHz processor, running a wireless syncing media machine you can swap memory in and couple with the blackberries messaging system and the new webkit browser would be sweet.
@jellotime91 Well.... isn't it pretty much the same for Android phones? Although nobody will accept it. How much is an iPhone 4 $199 with a 2 year contract?... very well... that's how much Droid 2 will be. iHaters... you may commence with your hate now.
Blackpad = name FAIL
Price is alright, considering the fact its a 10incher. Only worries is the amount of apps for this one. Ofcourse if BB is launching it they'll make sure apps too are developed but still nothing compared to iTunes app store.
@shreyas Sorry, not my worry. I just need the internet, which means a good/fast browser with flash support. Not all of us play games.
@NewBie A "good" browser is all you need, eh? Well, prepared to be disappointed. Seen the Torch browser vids?
WoW cant wait.
Apple creates a fantastic No 1 device that kills everything that had come before (but leaves of the basic essentials until version 2 or 3 comes out) Then to competition comes out with an equally competitive product but adds the basic essentials e.g, camera's micro sd???.
Why dosent apple learn The basic essentials should be on a device from day 1.
@Newwales
Because Apple doesn't want to sell one product in 4 years. Like a drug dealer they want to sell you enough to get you hooked with the promise of better each time.
They all do it, Apple just happens to have the opiate de jour.
@Newwales Doesn't seem to have done Apple's sales any harm. I will stake my iPad on the BlackPad selling a tiny fraction of the iPad's. I'll stake a round of drinks on the blackpad being a massive flop, a la Foleo.
@Newwales
If you are referring to iPad, there is actually nothing come before it (either size, weight or price). iPad is actually the ONLY such kind of device that was available in the market at that time. Even up to today, the only "competitor" is Joojoo.
You don't need to mention those tablet. No matter whether we consider weight, size or price, those tablets are totally in another segment of the market. Compare iPad to tablet is the same as comparing notebook to desktop, compact camera to prosumer camera, it is apple to orange.
@Rockchan Im taking in general Apple reinvents or invents a product that no one can compete with initially because of this they leave some the fundamentals off, just look at there desktops sd card reader has not long been added as standard, when every top end desktop has had them for years.
I hope for RIM's sake that this is good, but I can't help but think after the announcement of the Torch, that this tablet will still lag behind it's competitors.
This might be better than owning an actual blackberry phone.. probably can use BB6 and webkit on it, get your push email, twitter, facebook, etc.. makes sense if you want to compete against the other OS tablet makers with app stores. But I hope they at least bump up the specs..
My money might be on BerryPad.
How about concentrating on your phones before you expand your horrid OS onto a bigger screen?
They have awkward touch UI on their phones so now we want that in the bigger tablet, great! /s
@Formul For sure.. that is a prerequisite, got to go for the gold first.
RIM, please save yourself the embarrassment and DO NOT go through with this.
I'm just having a hard time believing that they will be able to pull off a great OS and decent hardware and design. I'd love to be surprised but..I'm sceptic.