1. allengeorge's Avatar
    It turns out that all you needed to get people to buy the HP Touchpad was to price it at $99 When HP announced its firesale the tablet sold more in two days than it did in the past two months. Maybe RIM really needs to develop a cheaper Playbook that targets the $99 price point in order to: 1) claw market share from Apple, and 2) build a big enough customer base that developing apps for the Playbook becomes a necessity.

    I know, I know, not going to happen - but the quick pace of Touchpad sales should get some people thinking in Waterloo...
    08-22-11 08:27 AM
  2. Chaddface's Avatar
    Selling at a loss is not good for business. Carriers can sell at or near cost because they rope you into a new 2 year contract. When you see a device with a price drop like that it's the beginning of the end.
    08-22-11 08:37 AM
  3. allengeorge's Avatar
    I'm not suggesting that they sell at a loss - I'm suggesting that they develop a tablet targeted to the $99 price point.
    08-22-11 08:42 AM
  4. ignites's Avatar
    I'm not suggesting that they sell at a loss - I'm suggesting that they develop a tablet targeted to the $99 price point.
    which we're telling you is not possible - cost is a factor and r&d is a hidden cost.

    you cant just 'shrink' your devices... engineering isn't exactly photoshop

    and btw even if you could. smaller chips by nature costs more.
    08-22-11 08:50 AM
  5. adrenaline_x's Avatar
    A Stripped Down Playbook would also not be as good as a device.. it would make it in line with the cheap android tablets which isn't what RIM wants. The hardware is the strong point of the playbook.. Removing that would make the tablet undesirable.


    I would suggest pricing it 100$ less then the ipad or giving a coupon worth 50-100$ off blackberry smart phone
    08-22-11 08:54 AM
  6. MikeFromCanada's Avatar
    The only reason the Touchpad sold so quickly is because it's a $400+ tablet selling for $100. Even if you could design and produce a cheap $100 tablet, it would nto come close to the sales of the TP in recent days.
    chiefbroski likes this.
    08-22-11 09:08 AM
  7. Foreverup's Avatar
    Isn't the playbook already stripped down.

    Sorry my sarcasm wouldn't let me pass on that one

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    theRIMMER and bembol like this.
    08-22-11 09:23 AM
  8. FF22's Avatar
    Ah, they could make a pb with Special Offers - like the Kindle - commercials play on it each time you launch an app!
    08-22-11 09:43 AM
  9. sk8er_tor's Avatar
    Ah, they could make a pb with Special Offers - like the Kindle - commercials play on it each time you launch an app!
    Hahahaha. Too funny.
    chiefbroski likes this.
    08-22-11 09:47 AM
  10. Tre Lawrence's Avatar
    A Stripped Down Playbook would also not be as good as a device.. it would make it in line with the cheap android tablets which isn't what RIM wants. The hardware is the strong point of the playbook.. Removing that would make the tablet undesirable.


    I would suggest pricing it 100$ less then the ipad or giving a coupon worth 50-100$ off blackberry smart phone
    Not a bad idea, IMHO. I would drop it even a bit more.

    Isn't the playbook already stripped down.



    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    You knew that was coming LOL...
    08-22-11 09:51 AM
  11. _StephenBB81's Avatar
    I really like the IDEA of a PlayBook lite,

    they make a 7" playbook, with NO real internal storage(1GB for OS updates and native app updates) , single speaker, only a Front facing camera, and 2 micro SD card slots. the PlayBook -lite, could retail for $199 offering users a basic tablet that connects to their BlackBerry's for bridging and web surfing, maybe the tablet is slightly tapered at the edges because of less stuff in it, and using a lower resolution screen if it is cost effective to purchase 2 different screens,

    I haven't really thought this through yet as to the market implications and the potential loss of enterprise sales for the premium version, but it could work having a PlayBook CURVE of sorts.
    chiefbroski and allengeorge like this.
    08-22-11 09:53 AM
  12. hodula1's Avatar
    Isn't the playbook already stripped down.

    Sorry my sarcasm wouldn't let me pass on that one
    Lol. The only reason I opened this thread was because I was sure someone would say that. That was my initial thought also.
    08-22-11 09:55 AM
  13. Beakman's Avatar
    Lol. The only reason I opened this thread was because I was sure someone would say that. That was my initial thought also.
    True. Beat me to it.
    08-22-11 10:08 AM
  14. s219's Avatar
    Keep in mind that the TouchPad cost $320 in parts. The PlayBook costs $270. That doesn't count manufacturing costs, shipping, marketing, etc. I just don't see a way for any of these companies to get a regular price down in the $100 range and still make a desirable device.

    Oh, and to continue the comedy theme, I'd really like to see RIM offer a full featured tablet for $499.
    howarmat and Buzz_Dengue like this.
    08-22-11 10:11 AM
  15. chiefbroski's Avatar
    I really like the IDEA of a PlayBook lite,

    they make a 7" playbook, with NO real internal storage(1GB for OS updates and native app updates) , single speaker, only a Front facing camera, and 2 micro SD card slots. the PlayBook -lite, could retail for $199 offering users a basic tablet that connects to their BlackBerry's for bridging and web surfing, maybe the tablet is slightly tapered at the edges because of less stuff in it, and using a lower resolution screen if it is cost effective to purchase 2 different screens,

    I haven't really thought this through yet as to the market implications and the potential loss of enterprise sales for the premium version, but it could work having a PlayBook CURVE of sorts.
    Finally, someone with an idea, not just some "No, that won't work, N00b."

    Yeah, maybe in the future with a cheaper dual core cpu (800 mhz), no internal storage (need SD cards), slower wifi (if cheaper), cheaper cameras, only 768 memory, and just generally stingyness.

    Maybe...it might not make sense from an economy of scale perspective.
    Buzz_Dengue likes this.
    08-22-11 10:18 AM
  16. Chaddface's Avatar
    Unless all it did was bridge I don't see how 199$ could be profitable. Would anybody buy a tab that only functions as a bridge.
    08-22-11 10:29 AM
  17. Foreverup's Avatar
    Unless all it did was bridge I don't see how 199$ could be profitable. Would anybody buy a tab that only functions as a bridge.
    Apparently yes they will. I'm keeping the comedy theme going.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    08-22-11 10:52 AM
  18. Chaddface's Avatar
    Apparently yes they will. I'm keeping the comedy theme going.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    How dare you bring comedy to a thread as serious as this.
    08-22-11 11:00 AM
  19. lophreaque's Avatar
    I want all tablets, phones, data plans and computers to be nearly free.
    I don't expect the companies that make them to make a profit, be attractive to shareholders, be able to pay their employees or research new products. New products that they can sell for nearly nothing.

    10 years ago most all of us could not even imagine a product like a tablet. You could not buy one for 10 Million dollars. Seriously.

    Now you can buy one of these wonders of consumer technology for under $1000. Or $500. Or $100 if the company is throwing up its hands in defeat, letting down its customers, employees and shareholders.
    Last edited by lophreaque; 08-22-11 at 11:02 AM. Reason: update
    08-22-11 11:00 AM
  20. Cozmik's Avatar
    As was mentioned a few posts ago I agree that $100 less than the competition would really give people something to think about.

    $399,$499 and $599 would be a $120 savings over the comparable iPads and $100 less than the Motorola offering. It would be on par with some of the other Android units price wise and offer better hardware plus the Bridge feature. You never know, that plus 'Playbook launch 2.0' could be the home run RIM needs with the PB.
    08-22-11 11:11 AM
  21. sosumi11's Avatar
    Maybe RIM really needs to develop a cheaper Playbook that targets the $99 price point in order to: 1) claw market share from Apple, and 2) build a big enough customer base that developing apps for the Playbook becomes a necessity.
    Great idea! IF RIM can make the PlayBook half the size of an iPad, they can charge half as much! Maybe not quite down to $99, but maybe as low as $199.
    08-22-11 11:21 AM
  22. TheScionicMan's Avatar
    How dare you bring comedy to a thread as serious as this.
    How dare he consider that "comedy"...
    08-22-11 11:23 AM
  23. Chaddface's Avatar
    Great idea! IF RIM can make the PlayBook half the size of an iPad, they can charge half as much! Maybe not quite down to $99, but maybe as low as $199.
    Now that is comedy^
    08-22-11 11:35 AM
  24. sportline's Avatar
    As pb is almost half the size of ipad or galaxy, the price has to be around 70% of ipad a the market leader. How can it be more expensive with less functionality and less real estate?


    Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
    08-22-11 11:36 AM
  25. sportline's Avatar
    Or a cheap 7" running bbos7 with full attire of apps, bridged, acting as a truly bigger screen of the phone..as both are running same os, there will be perfect integration of native and installed apps.

    Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
    08-22-11 11:40 AM
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