RIM sets its PlayBook price (sort of) -- you gonna get one?
As each new tablet PC hits the market – the HP Slate, the Samsung Galaxy and, sometime soon, the RIM PlayBook – the same question can't be avoided: will it challenge the iPad?
Almost without refute, everyone agrees the only real shot to knock Apple’s dominant tablet off its pedestal will come in the form of the PlayBook – yet, with RIM’s reluctance in recent months to name a retail price, how much can we really forecast?
Finally, however, the Waterloo, Ont.-based maker of the BlackBerry has named its price for the PlayBook, which will debut in the first quarter of next year: under $500.
Sure, not exactly precise, but it’s clear what RIM has in mind with such a pricing estimate. Undercut the iPad, which sells for as little as $499 in the U.S. In Canada, of course, you won’t find an iPad any cheaper than $549 (or $679 if you want 3G capacity), so a sub-$500 tablet could sound mighty nice to some budget-conscious Canucks.
And, now that we have a price in mind for the PlayBook, we can start to gauge the consumer reaction to the product; namely, is it worth it? And, will it cut into the user base of the wildly popular iPad?
Not quite enough room in this space to debate the specs between the PlayBook and iPad (you can check out a few good breakdowns on DigitalTrends.com or NewGadget.org) but there seems to be at least four PlayBook features that, now that we know the RIM device won’t cost more than Apple’s tablet, are sure to draw people into RIM’s camp on this one:
1) Price – Since we just explained this, here’s a link to my friend Shane's great Movember page to benefit prostate cancer research. Check it out, and donate if you can. Any bit helps.
2) Size – With a seven-inch screen, the PlayBook is sure to be easier to transport than the 9.7-inch iPad. Whether smaller is better in this regard, though, remains to be seen.
3) USB – The iPad claims no USB connectivity. The PlayBook, in true PC emulation style, will allow it to function more as a total computer.
4) Flash – Apple has continued its snub of Flash, which powers the videos and interactive content on many of your favourite sites. RIM welcomes Flash with open arms with the Playbook.
Of course, there’s still plenty the iPad will whip the PlayBook on. Its app selection, for one, will dwarf anything you’ll find on the PlayBook. Even the most dedicated BlackBerry user will admit Apple's got RIM's number when it comes to apps.
But that’s getting ahead of ourselves. The main question here: now that we know it’ll be cheaper than the iPad, will you consider going out and nabbing a PlayBook?
By Jason Buckland, MSN Money
(*Image courtesy: DigitalTrends.com)
Posted by: R Mutter | Nov 13, 2021 1:39:15 AM
The playbook is vaporware. Only $500.00 but you can't buy one for Xmas
anywhere in the world.
And when you can buy it sometime in late spring you need to live in
Korea.
How can anyone be excited about any of this?
Posted by: Rob | Nov 14, 2021 5:50:19 PM
I'm really temped by the Ipad right now esp. so close to Christmas. I admit a lot of it is just getting caught up in the hype. It is mostly for that reason I have been resisting and holding out for an alternative. The Playbook may or may not be that alternative...we'll see.
The size of the Playbook is definitely a plus. I find the Ipad to be a tad too large for my liking. I've played with the Milestone phone using android and find it too small. With the Playbook falling between the two in size, it may just fit the bill
Posted by: Harry | Nov 14, 2021 7:15:07 PM
price of the unit is not a selling point for me, i'd lean more towards the ipad simply due to the vast choice of apps, if I bring home a playbook the first few weeks I'll be excited to use it but once I tire of it's built in feature and want change in my life I'll be dispointed to find that I won't have many choice of application to add to it, my blacbkerry bold is a paper weight now due to the fact that it's EXPENSIVE applications on the app world I switched to the iphone 4 for amazing application for cheaper prices, phone cost more but the apps don't, rim hardware is less expensive but the software is more expensive so you have to weigh your options prior to purchasing and I think with the fact that all the applications I'ld already purchased on my iphone work on an ipad I think it's a best bet for someone like me and many others who have already spent their hard earned cash on a library of great games and music and movies from the itunes store.
Posted by: J Kane | Nov 14, 2021 7:25:07 PM
I hope RIM has a winner with the Playbook. I've always been a big fan of BlackBerry but have switched over to an Android device recently due to the lack of any decent hardware offerings from RIM. I hope the Playbook is the first step in a line of good hardware releases because I have surprisingly miss my BlackBerry...I really didn't think that I would.
Posted by: Saeid | Nov 14, 2021 7:31:40 PM
Well I own a Ipad and it cost me about 850.00 plus Tax and that was 4 months ago which I was very excited and it was nice the first month and soon after I realized that it does not do much; I can't even surf the net with the exception of few site that do not have flash. Lat time I used I pad was couple of week ago. What a waste of money. I probabley will cancell my data package as it costs $120.00 per year. or may be try to sell it to someone that think Ipad is a usefull thing to have. not sure if I will by the playbook unless I can get rid of the Apple paper weight I have here.
Posted by: Jay | Nov 14, 2021 9:59:28 PM
Being a Blackberry user... I feel that my only option is to wait out for the New Playbook... I like the specs and nice size... as well as the usb and flash combatibility... but like mentioned... the minimal apps sway me toward Apple... however I beleve RIM will understand the importance of developing its APP WORLD and will see some growth in that sector of thier buisness... 1 thing i really like about the playbook is the compadibility it has with the Blackberry... it seems very useful in the practical world in which we live in.
Posted by: tom | Nov 14, 2021 11:40:04 PM
I will wait for the playbook. The Ipad is just a big Ipod, good for apps. I dont care that apple has 200,000 apps, I only use about 4-5 apps
Posted by: Sean Heer | Nov 15, 2021 3:41:14 PM
Give me a break, the ipad is a waste of money. How many fart apps do you really need?
Posted by: Jack | Nov 16, 2021 6:30:56 AM
I won't waste my money on any of these gadgets.
Posted by: Sheeva | Nov 18, 2021 12:24:32 PM
Not hot on iPad regardless of apps. With everything Apple many of the apps have a cost associated and not as much "freeware" as I would want. Not having the ability to use Flash, not having USB or even SD capability kills this for me right out of the box. With no web camera how is anyone going to use iPad for chat/im/skype, etc. The requirement to have a PC to "synch" the iPad is also backward thinking along with it's inability to multitask. Why no HDMI out and forcing to use proprietary docking station? And as with many years of Apple experience, there's no SDK.
So, are the above "minor" concerns for this so called new technology? Not for me and I'm sure for many others. Will RIM do better? Since no one outside of RIM themselves has actually played with the Playbook, the answers are still elusive. We do know, however, that the Playbook will have USB, Web Camera and Flash capability; we'll just have to wait to "suss" out the rest. Which is exactly what I'm doing, waiting. I don't want an iPad, I'm not terribly sure about the Playbook and the other vendors such as HP and Dell with their table offerings may or may not have what it takes. So why jump so fast into technology; just wait a couple more months. Maybe we'll know more then.
By the way, if RIM can keep the PlayBook loaded under $500 CDN it will be a very serious contender.
Posted by: Jeff | Dec 13, 2021 2:28:32 AM
This product is very exciting. Very portable, reasonable price, full web experience (flash), multiple applications can run at once, usb key backups possible. As others have said, who cares if apple had 10 millions apps, the immense majority of that is useless crap. Whatever apps are usefull or necessary will be included or shortly available. At 400$ per playbook, they would oversell the ipads in no time! Can't wait to buy one!