[BlueNoserBESguy]

I'm tired of concepts. Make it so. All of it.

[Sith_Apprentice]

If receiving e-mail while on a call and browsing the web (which is supported by all smartphone platforms including iOS) isn't "truly" multitasking" then you're using a very restrictive definition.

First this can also be a carrier limitation of CDMA devices. Data and voice use the same channels and the calls take priority. I believe the poster is referring to HOW iOS multitasks and the limitations set in the OS. It *can* multitask, it just isnt the same as how QNX (or even BBOS) handles it. It is more restrictive in that fashion.

[anon(2523636)]

In the end, the ones who wait will be happy.

With one caveat - as long as there is still a company to actually deliver it. RIM's stock has dipped below book value (ie less than the actual value of its property, patents and other assets). This will start to affect its ability to borrow money to invest in development/production.
I really like the platform, and want it to succeed, but this is the real, capitalist world. Companies that don't deliver, especially if they are playing catch-up as is, will struggle. The next six months are critical for the company.

[toobs623]

If receiving e-mail while on a call and browsing the web (which is supported by all smartphone platforms including iOS) isn't "truly" multitasking" then you're using a very restrictive definition.

They were refering to "true multitasking" iOS is now capable of basic multitasking. The phone/web deal is a function of gsm rather than of the devices themselves. True multitasking refers to the ability to run multiple applications at the same time seamlessly. IOS does not perform well here. Bbos performs well and qnx performs incredibly. Android has full multitasking, but to me blackberry has much better management. On android a task killer is needed. On blackberry simply press close! This is, imho, one of RIMs greatest accomplishments. Serious multitasking was arount when the iphone was a glimmer in steve jobs' eye.

[currentodysseys]

These are some really inspiring concepts!

Thank you OP for this very nice thread!

I believe that bb10 is being prepared to rock the boat as it is the only way to go imo, rock the boat and with "cross-platform" perception. Good things come to those who wait

Nobody talks about win8 in relation to RIM and i really am very curious to see how bb10 will be strategically approaching the windows8 environment. Do you guys think it will be on the "competition" plane or some kind of "co-existence" in terms of tablet segment between RIM and MS?? Any hints on RIM strategic positioning in relation to that from any1?

I adore my pb and would love to see it more involved with my windows pc, while it maintains its RIM awesomeness and get to have all the TAT goodies

This summer will be very exciting!!!!

[zethaaron]

There's no doubt the Astonishing Tribe looks like they've got some really great concepts and I really can't wait to see some of them actually available. Hope it all works out!

[palomartian]

There is a LOT more than cool graphics to selling hardware. I work with people who have iPhones and we have to remotely access servers, etc. Regardless of the app employed for this, iPhone kills it, BBOS is weak and really just embarrassing in a head to head comparison. Blackberry had their run with BBM but it's over folks. Forget gaining market share. What ever is "next" will have to be truly earth shattering just to keep RIM in business. Smart money is betting on fail.

[mikelcal]

There is a LOT more than cool graphics to selling hardware. I work with people who have iPhones and we have to remotely access servers, etc. Regardless of the app employed for this, iPhone kills it, BBOS is weak and really just embarrassing in a head to head comparison. Blackberry had their run with BBM but it's over folks. Forget gaining market share. What ever is "next" will have to be truly earth shattering just to keep RIM in business. Smart money is betting on fail.

Palomrtian, I'll be bold in saying that blackberry users know that better than anyone else else. BBM is awesome still, and regardless of what the current BB OS 4-7 can't do, we're looking at the future here. And I'm sure not even you can disagree that nice graphics are an added bonus. QNX is generally "invisible" and you might even be using it now without you knowing. TAT and RIM are just putting a "face" to an awesome OS.

Most people shyed away from Linux despite its superiority over windows because of its unappealing UI, but that has changed recently, specially with Ubuntu distros. They look great and still have all that power.

[mikelcal]

I see the point of the comments above but it appears that nobody cares about RIM's innovations. Wikitude augmented reality; nfc; true multi-tasking; 1+1=3 concepts on the PB and etc. These are great features currently but have in no way stopped the bleeding. Thus, I believe BB10 will need to be so superior relative to the competition that bloggers and analyst have no choice but to praise the new OS. What will it take? Unfortunately this is the $1 million question.

I think "It just feels" like no one cares. Because only the actual bb users who follow what's going on in the bb world know about this, and also RIM hasn't been shown in a good light recently in the mass media. We haven't heard from the Thorstein lately, but I'm sure he will follow thru with increasing marketing efforts in the US.

[mikelcal]

I'm tired of concepts. Make it so. All of it.

I share your sentiment, but they are not wizards waving around a wand, nor are they sitting on their hands. Coding takes time and patience...I know because I recently started learning how to code C++ as an adult and I've been very frustrated that I can't just tell my computer what. I want my app to look like and have it spit it back our for me. It's a painstaking process to take a bunch of lines of code and look at each one just to find an error. I'd rather them take their time and knock our socks off than to have them put out another half baked product. If memory serves me correctly, the current OS is an Adobe Air App running on top of QNX, now if it were native cascades, then things would be much, much more fluid..

[ubizmo]

Nobody talks about win8 in relation to RIM and i really am very curious to see how bb10 will be strategically approaching the windows8 environment. Do you guys think it will be on the "competition" plane or some kind of "co-existence" in terms of tablet segment between RIM and MS?? Any hints on RIM strategic positioning in relation to that from any1?

I don't have any info beyond the fact that MS, in partnership mainly with Nokia at this time, is pushing very hard to get Windows Phone on the map. The current "Mango"/7.5 version is very nice, but a lot of people don't know about it. The next "Apollo"/8 version of WP is scheduled to be released at around the same time as BB10.

In the meantime, MS and Nokia are trying to drop anchor in the emerging markets, which looks to me like a pretty direct effort to compete with RIM. WP7.5 "Tango" has just been announced in China, and Nokia is releasing the Lumia 610, which is a less expensive, lower-spec device that will have appeal in the developing world.

There is, of course, no W8 tablet yet, since there's no W8, but the Consumer Preview of W8 is itself a preview of what the tablet Metro UI will look like. In fact, some critics have complained that it's more suitable to tablets than to desk/laptop machines. In any case, the fairly clear goal is to create an integrated ecosystem across phones, tablets, and computer, just as Apple has done. MS is courting developers very aggressively, the result of which is more than 70,000 apps in the WP7 Marketplace already, and they are promising downward app compatibility when the upgrade comes.

So when I look at this, I see MS moving swiftly to take advantage of RIM's "holding pattern", with weak OS7 sales and nothing new on the horizon until BB10, by gaining as much momentum as possible. I'd expect MS to hold off on offering any licensing arrangements to RIM for a while. They frankly have a strong interest in seeing RIM fail so they can grab as much of its market share as possible.

[rc.simpsons]

Thanks. Those concept looks awesome! What we bought is not the PlayBook alone but the future, the dream, the passion, etc.

Before these concepts come true, I'll keep using my PB as alarm clock which has one more alarm tone than my $5 alarm clock.

[heri16]

I'm surprised that nobody mentioned that Cascades is already in closed beta in Europe. It is part of the Qt Framework of the NDK, completely replacing the QT UI which nokia built some years ago.

It's really smart for them to leverage the QT Foundation classes. This way, there would already be a lot of books and learning materials out there that all us developers can pick up now, to learn how coding for Cascades will feel like. Then later simply & trivially wire Cascades on top our Qt code later.

Some Nokia developers (who have been heavily invested in Qt due to Symbian) that I've spoken to, are considering moving to the blackberry platform. You should expect the first great 3rd-party cascades apps on playbook to come from them (ex-Nokia devs) by summer.

In Feb 2012 at Devcon Europe, they had focused jam sessions on an early version of the Qt+Cascades Framework.
Here are the sessions in case you were interested:

DEV337 – Introduction to the Cascades UI
GRP311 – Focus Group: Cascades User Interface Engine
This focus group covers the Cascades User Interface Engine and Qt application framework.
DEV389 – Panel: Exploring the Cascades User Interface Engine
Come to ask your questions about how Cascades works, and the future plans for the platform.
DEV338 – Streamlining Designer–Coder Workflow with Cascades
This session highlights the importance of collaboration between pixel designers and visual programmers, and previews an automated export tool for Adobe� Photoshop� that ties into an automatic import developer tool for Cascades.

[app_Developer]

I'm surprised that nobody mentioned that Cascades is already in closed beta in Europe. It is part of the Qt Framework of the NDK, completely replacing the QT UI which nokia built some years ago.

Cascades isn't a part of Qt, nor does it replace Qt.

It is being built on top of Qt. Like KDE is, or MeeGo.

[_MissV_]

Wow, those concepts look nice.

[heri16]

Cascades isn't a part of Qt, nor does it replace Qt.

It is being built on top of Qt. Like KDE is, or MeeGo.

Yes it is being built on top, but if you actually saw the architectural diagrams RIM showed onsite, it is unlike KDE or MeeGo (which are nix desktop environments lol). Why would RIM add another set of faux "Start" menu and taskbars? That won't make a UI framework/library.

RIM's Cascades library adds on and at the same time replaces the UI layers/widgets of the QT Framework. That's why QT's project lead (ironically still working at Nokia) was present at Devcon, and wanted RIM's code to be contributed back as part of future QT base.

I understand the confusion if you are not a *nix developer. On a conciliatory note (just in case I missed out some things), why would you equate it to KDE or MeeGo? (Aren't there many other layers you might have missed? e.g. the X Windowing system). Wikipedia might be a suitable place to get a refresher on Qt.

Rather than relying on sometimes inaccurate media/fanbase speculation, helping to clarify so everyone is on the same page here as to future RIM's development, and what TAT is trying to do by July/August. (Yes, the Confetti app is a QT application, using QT networking.)