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RIM debuts tablet called BlackBerry PlayBook
Marketwatch ^ | Sept. 27, 2010, 9:34 p.m. EDT | Dan Gallagher, MarketWatch

Posted on 09/28/2010 8:21:13 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Research In Motion Ltd. lifted the wraps Monday off a touch-screen tablet device called the BlackBerry PlayBook, making it the latest wireless-device maker to step into the new market.

At the company’s annual DevCon conference in San Francisco, RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis billed the PlayBook as “the first enterprise-ready tablet.” He said the tablet is designed to “amplify” the experience of the company’s BlackBerry smart phones, which can pair with the tablet through a Bluetooth connection.

“This will enable a new world of computing that you can hold in the palm of your hand,” Lazaridis said during a keynote address Monday afternoon.


BlackBerry PlayBook.

(Excerpt) Read more at marketwatch.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: blackberry; hitech; ipad; mobiledevices; rim; tablets
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AND:

*****************************************************EXCERPT**************************************

The PlayBook is also built on a new software platform based on QNX Neutrino. QNX is widely used in applications across the automotive, transportation and medical industries.

1 posted on 09/28/2010 8:21:21 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
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To: ShadowAce
fyi

No price and no processor announcement.

Hmmm....

2 posted on 09/28/2010 8:22:51 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach ( Support Geert Wilders)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

I like the choice of an embedded RTOS. Is this out any time soon, or is it another way early announcement to try to stem the tide of iPad sales?


3 posted on 09/28/2010 8:23:53 AM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

A BlackBarry PlayBook?

Does it blame Bush for everything?


4 posted on 09/28/2010 8:24:18 AM PDT by null and void (We are now in day 616 of our national holiday from reality. - 0bama really isn't one of US.)
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To: antiRepublicrat
I think Q1 2011....

More info from this article:

RIM to launch tablet PC powered by new operating system

**********************************EXCERPT************************************

By Windsor Genova | September 22, 2010 6:21 PM EDT

The BlackPad features a 7-inch touch screen and one or two built-in cameras. It has a Bluetooth and can connect to the Internet via mobile phone networks using a BlackBerry smartphone.

Instead of the BlackBerry 6 operating system, the BlackPad will run in an OS built by QNX Software Systems and chips made by Marvell Technology Group.

5 posted on 09/28/2010 8:28:30 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach ( Support Geert Wilders)
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To: null and void

LOL!


6 posted on 09/28/2010 8:29:02 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach ( Support Geert Wilders)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
No price and no processor announcement.

Yeah. Makes it hard to justify a ping (in my view).

7 posted on 09/28/2010 8:29:21 AM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: ShadowAce
I am sure the Marvell processor is an ARM and I think i posted a thread on that some time back....and this website seems to be specializing in all of these tablets:

RIM Developing BlackBerry Tablet

*************************************EXCERPT**************************************

BY: Jamison Cush, TabletPCReview.com Editor PUBLISHED: 6/14/2010

The story credits "people familiar with RIM's plans" who claim the tablet will not have its own connection and will instead tether to a BlackBerry, essentially making it a BlackBerry with a bigger screen.

8 posted on 09/28/2010 8:35:49 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach ( Support Geert Wilders)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

This is the big difference between Apple and others I was talking about earlier. Normally, Apple announces products that either are immediately available or will be available very soon. The product is finished, Apple is just building up supplies for the launch.

Every other company seems to have the need to announce something far in advance in order to say “Don’t buy the current competitor’s product, we’ll have something on the market soon!” This tactic traces back to IBM IIRC.


9 posted on 09/28/2010 8:41:45 AM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

CPU is supposed to be a 1GHz dual-core ARM Cortex A9-based processor.

Core is supposed to be 1GB.

Price? TBD, but I think it will fall between $750 and $1500. If they’re going to be aggressive, they’ll try to price it at $999 or some such.


10 posted on 09/28/2010 8:42:29 AM PDT by NVDave
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

No battery life number.


11 posted on 09/28/2010 8:44:36 AM PDT by BunnySlippers
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To: All; ShadowAce
Link to Bloomberg article on the announcement ...and a Video...price and functions aimed at Business people with competitive prices ....Video is laggy...website must be getting hammered.

RIM Unveils Tablet as BlackBerry Maker Chases Apple's IPad

12 posted on 09/28/2010 8:45:44 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach ( Support Geert Wilders)
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To: NVDave
We must be over a half dozen different variations of ARM based processors now for tablet devices....
13 posted on 09/28/2010 8:48:44 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach ( Support Geert Wilders)
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To: BunnySlippers

Wonder how they can measure that...if when you use it ...it is tethered to the blackberry phone which will have the communication hardware....so battery life might be pretty good....<P.But not so good for the phone.


14 posted on 09/28/2010 8:51:26 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach ( Support Geert Wilders)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Yep. I don’t doubt that we’ll see more, given the ARM architecture.

The neat thing about ARM is the low power consumption. For mobile devices, it is the CPU architecture of choice. To get COGS as low as possible, you want integration to be as tight as possible, which means putting as much of your logic onto one chip.

So companies will choose a ARM CPU core+memory controller, pick the interface logic they need/want, add a GPU core to the die and have one of the big foundries spin them a run. Wha-la, low COGS and tight integration.


15 posted on 09/28/2010 8:56:44 AM PDT by NVDave
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To: All
Related thread on Nvidia:

Tegra is year later than Nvidia hoped ( Waiting for Android 3.0 - Gingerbread )

16 posted on 09/28/2010 8:59:37 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach ( Support Geert Wilders)
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To: NVDave
I think a saw an article some time ago where a claim was made that there were 180+ different efforts to get a iPad like competing device out to the market....

I didn't quite believe that number....no way that many will every show up.

17 posted on 09/28/2010 9:03:54 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach ( Support Geert Wilders)
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To: NVDave; BunnySlippers; ShadowAce
Another article:

BlackBerry maker RIM unveils tablet computer

*******************************EXCERPT**************************************

PlayBook users can pair the tablet with their BlackBerry smartphone using a Bluetooth connection, RIM said, noting that content stored on the smartphone is only temporarily cached on the tablet.

RIM so far didn't announce price of PlayBook, but said it would be in the lower range for tablets already on the market.

**********************************************************************************

This doesn't look anything like a consumer type of device....

From the way it is announced,...the size....and the tether to a blackberry phone.....

18 posted on 09/28/2010 9:12:24 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach ( Support Geert Wilders)
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To: NVDave

actually I would say it should be lower than the ipad.


19 posted on 09/28/2010 9:15:00 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: antiRepublicrat

See my thoughts at #18.


20 posted on 09/28/2010 9:20:44 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach ( Support Geert Wilders)
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