PC Pro Claim no more Playbooks to be manufactured?

**tommo1975** · 06-17-2012, 01:30 AM

I bought this months copy of PC PRO (Aug issue) on the back of it's article "iPad vs The Rivals" and they give the Playbook a good review, awarding it the "PC PRO Recommended" award.

However at the end of the review (on page 136) it states "...it looks to be a steal. Act fast though: once stock runs out RIM won't be making any more". They don't make this comment with reference to any particular model (i.e. 16GB, 32GB or 64GB), so do they know something we don't or have they just got their facts wrong?

**californiablackberry** · 06-17-2012, 01:41 AM

They just got their facts WRONG.

**togardergrosse** · 06-17-2012, 01:42 AM

Well, they are partially wrong though.
indeed the 16Gb WiFi model won't be produced anymore, but for the rest, I don't think RIM will make 'many' more.
The reason is simple, new PB model will come out (4G HSPA+/LTE) or the new WiFi only with better specs.
Nothing to worry about.

Sent from my Bold 9900 using.. wait for it.. CrackBerry Forum App! Thanks to Tapatalk

**Cozz4ever** · 06-17-2012, 06:00 AM

Originally Posted by togardergrosse

Well, they are partially wrong though.
indeed the 16Gb WiFi model won't be produced anymore, but for the rest, I don't think RIM will make 'many' more.
The reason is simple, new PB model will come out (4G HSPA+/LTE) or the new WiFi only with better specs.
Nothing to worry about.

Sent from my Bold 9900 using.. wait for it.. CrackBerry Forum App! Thanks to Tapatalk

It's the same playbook with updated specs. They are wrong.

**mikeplus1** · 06-17-2012, 07:34 AM

RIM will not be making any more of the model they reviewed, so technically not wrong. New versions with updated specs and updated software will require a new review.

**kennyliu** · 06-17-2012, 08:05 AM

Well, do you really expect RIM to write off the entire inventory of Playbooks and still continue to manufacture them at more loss?

So PC Pro are most probably right (99 percent probability, with 1 percent left for the possibility that folks at RIM are completely out of their minds).

Also note that they wrote off 485 million worth of inventory and so far only sold 1+ million Playbooks, which implies they possibly still have loads of PBs (32/64Gb) remaining.

So I'd say they stopped making Playbooks last fall or even earlier. Quite possible they never produced any more PBs after they ordered the first big batch from Quanta, that they expected to sell faster than they actually did (I remember a figure close to 3 million in the first quarter, whereas they only sold 0.5 million).

**cadoll** · 06-17-2012, 08:09 AM

Best Buy told me three months ago that the PlayBook was dead and being completely discontinued, which was why they no longer carried it in stores. It seems retailers and media still can't get their facts completely correct.

**anthogag** · 06-17-2012, 10:30 AM

And why wouldn't RIM eventually make better next gen playbooks

The reviewer was talking about this first gen playbook

**notfanboy** · 06-17-2012, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by anthogag

And why wouldn't RIM eventually make better next gen playbooks

The reviewer was talking about this first gen playbook

They wouldn't unless they are reasonably sure they won't have another commercial failure of Playbook proportions on their hands.

Sure RIM is betting big on BB10 phones but at least the smartphone market, as tough as it is right now, isn't as completely dominated as the tablet market is by the iPad.

**BBplaybookJS** · 06-17-2012, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by cadoll

Best Buy told me three months ago that the PlayBook was dead and being completely discontinued, which was why they no longer carried it in stores. It seems retailers and media still can't get their facts completely correct.

Funny I bought one at Best Buy 2 weeks ago and they had lots of inventory. Prominently displayed also.

**kingbernie06511** · 06-17-2012, 12:11 PM

i read on this forum that PB2 will be delayed until BB10, so that they can make a splash and not loose 100$ per unit sold.

So no 1.5ghz, LTE versions just yet, have to wait till BB10. It sucks in a way, but on the other hand it makes a bit of business sense...

**anthogag** · 06-17-2012, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by notafanboy

They wouldn't unless they are reasonably sure they won't have another commercial failure of Playbook proportions on their hands.

Sure RIM is betting big on BB10 phones but at least the smartphone market, as tough as it is right now, isn't as completely dominated as the tablet market is by the iPad.

Next time they won't make so many. They have to release a better next gen playbook

It makes sense if they release the next playbook when BB10 launches. A playbook and a mini playbook phone is cool

IMO, RIM should also advertise these products as having 'desktop' computer functionality...here they need proper display software so the image remains 'crisp'...i.e. connect a large display, a bluetooth keyboard and mouse