BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet Missed Holiday Launch Due to Bugs

Rodman & Renshaw analyst Ashok Kumar has published a note explaining why the BlackBerry PlayBook, RIM’s first tablet, won’t be sitting snugly under Christmas trees this year. For one, the Neutrino operating system by QNX wasn’t ready – a fact which should be clearly apparent considering the controlled circumstances under which the device was shown off at the BlackBerry Developer Conference last week. Secondly, the PlayBook was reportedly plagued with bugs from the Marvell Armada 610 application processor they had been using, which has since been swapped out for something by Texas Instruments. It’s been made clear that a 3G or 4G version of the PlayBook is in the works, but plans to launch it sooner than summer 2011 “may not be realistic”.

The BlackBerry PlayBook is planned to launch in early 2011 with a 3 megapixel forward-facing camera for video conferencing, a 5 megapixel rear-facing camera capable of HD video recording, dual-core 1 GHz processor, 1 GB of ram, 7″, 1024 x 600 capacitive touchscreen, and a slim 10 mm profile. The whole package will be running a new OS made by QNX called Neutrino, which can handle rich Flash, 3D, and HDMI-based multimedia while keeping taxes on limited system resources to a minimum. The way Neutrino partitions applications will also ensure that if one app crashes, the whole system doesn’t suffer.

So far, RIM has already been pretty up-front about not getting the tablet out in time for the holidays, but how soon the 3G version comes out afterwards is the wildcard. Both Wi-Fi and 3G versions of the iPad launched together, and I would suspect that RIM would do the same if they don’t want to estrange carrier partners by offering no means of wireless data revenue. If the Wi-Fi version is the only one available on the market for even a couple of months, many who would have picked up a PlayBook with a data plan may very well just make do by tethering their BlackBerry to the tablet. Then again, carriers may be able to tap into that segment by charging extra to share data between the two, as some service providers have opted to do with the iPad.

In any case, despite the roadblocks, I’m glad that RIM announced the PlayBook rather than kept it under wraps until it was more complete; if showing the PlayBook at such an early stage means not being able to touch it and potentially waiting longer for a launch, then so be it.

[via Barron's]

About The Author

Simon Sage

Simon Sage’s education largely surrounded writing, technology and online community, leading him to begin his blogging career at www.BlackBerryCool.com and to quickly discover a vibrant and active community surrounding BlackBerry and mobile technology. In exploring RIM’s platform, he has learned what enterprises are looking for in mobility as well as what makes the innocuous BlackBerry so appealing to them. Recently Simon’s been covering RIM’s gradual move into an already-crowded consumer market, and the impact of burgeoning challengers, such as the iPhone, as well as long-time leaders, like Nokia, on BlackBerry’s advancement. With plenty of content under his belt, Simon will be branching off a bit to see what other smartphone manufacturers are working on while still using BlackBerry as a barometer. At IntoMobile, you can count on his posts being even-handed, well-informed and thought-out.

Naz

what a article from Mr. Kumer, Written based on complete speculation, Number one Armada 610 is a Single core processor not a duel core, these are all lies with some special interest from Kumer he must be a trader who is trying to lower the RIMM stock, All the so called analyst please make a comment based on facts not with special interest.

Naz
- Ram1
  
  I agree – these days the term “analyst” is synonymous with “special interests” and their so-called “analysis” – whatever that is – is usually pure fantasy. A highschool student can usually think up better stories. Not one scintilla of what these jokers say is ever rooted in reality or even pans out and I’m surprised the news media picks up their trash. I should “publish a note” as well – “RIM Playbook will do wonderfully and will beat the iPad and Android tablets 2 to 1!” How do I know? I did an analysis! of what you ask? of information I obtained from secret sources at Apple! lol. Who would like to use my “analysis” in their news peace? Anybody?
  - http://www.intomobile.com Simon Sage
    
    I definitely try to take all analyst commentary with a grain of salt, which is why I tend to throw on the “rumor” tag for posts dealing with them.
john

The iPad Wifi and 3G didn’t launch at the same time….
ljp

I believe this is more about Ashok Kumar’s claim that the “BlackPad” was going to launch in November. Now he is claiming that the device they are launching is the second generation that they were going to launch in the summer of 2011. Would RIM really plot an upgrade to their tablet within a six month timeframe?

Ashok Kumar is no stranger to wrong predictions. He only gets attention because he gives people something to write about and they don’t care about his long track record of fantasy “channel checks”.

Every product has problems and delays, but I find it hard to believe that Mr. Kumar who in the middle of August said the device was going to be 9.7″ and named the BlackPad now has some special insight into the workings of RIM. But I will give Mr. Kumar some credit, he’s managed to hang onto his current job for longer than six months.