[dbwoo]

Things are adding up and it is starting to make sense.
RIM has already written down the PB1 inventory to relect the reality of the sale prices.

RIM through it's retail channels and their own site are dumping PB1 to the masses in order to gernerate interest from software developers and consumer buzz.

PB1 in it's current form will not be produce anymore. Henze places like BB will not be carrying them.

OS2 will be release in Feb to run on PB1 so that it will please the existing customers and hopefully get others interested.

A PB2 runing OS2 or higher with different hardware or design or size (10"???) or a combination in order to bring the retail price of the tablet up to a profitable margin but lower than the competitors in order to compete.

If the PB2 is indeed a 10" (rumor), then possiblity a smaller PB2 (same size as the PB1 but with a 7.5" screen) with a lower price could be introduced as well or a bit later.

Just my 2012 predictions.....................

[herculesinwyoming]

i think you may be right. or worse may be the ending olf the project

[diegonei]

Or even your 2011 rumor recollections? There is nothing new here pal.

[BekNazar]

10" PB is coming.
LTE PBs are coming.
Seen the native email/calendar with my own eyes last visit by RIM.
Looks great. UI completely revamped. Working on getting my company on the beta testing now... We know Kevin is in the beta testing team.
10" will be around for a while! best size for a tablet imho.

Todd

[123berryaddicted]

i really wonder..... but then again.... I'm so used to RIM letting me down that i won't be surprised that the big big OS2 release is a complete flop. I seriously don't know what is going on over there.... when the nintendo wii can get netflix..... why is it sooooo hard for RIM to do these small things? and we expect them to do the big things?? my faith in RIM pulling off a come back is very very small.

[grahamf]

I expect that RIM is trying to reduce retailer stock so that when OS 2 comes out RIM can push out the Playbook with OS 2 preloaded. That would make sense if there's a major marketing blitz at the same time. If RIM plays their cards right and reviews are very favorable, new customers may flock to the PlayBook.

Once they buy the PlayBook, the customers will want to bring it home and use it right away. RIM's upgrade servers will be hammered by current owners upgrading their devices, so upgrades could take hours. If the new customers had to deal with upgrading for hours as soon as they get their PB, many will probably give up and return it; and the PlayBook will be freshly branded as a failure.

[ralfyguy]

I expect that RIM is trying to reduce retailer stock so that when OS 2 comes out, RIM can push out the Playbook with OS 2 preloaded.

That would make sense if there's a major marketing blitz, as new customers that want to buy out the PlayBook won't want to bring a brand new PB home only to find out it needs a big software update before they can use it (especially if they have slow or no internet, and the update servers may be hammered so even T1 customers would have to wait hours for the download to finish).

good lord that's a long sentence. I'll try to rewrite it.

What you said makes complete sense and I really hope you are correct. Thank you.

[cajualaddict]

7 inch, 10 inches, bb 10 phones. doesn't matter to me. i currently have a 9900 and a pb and am sure it will get more useful like any electronic.

pb was very poorly marketed to the general public but currently is the only os that doesn't have buttons (that i know of, did i say how much i like the swipe)

my predictions: video chat on bb10 phones (why would you need a fr cam), more than 1 smart phone in 2012, more balance performance with the current direction rim is on with hardware and software.

will it be late? maybe but atleast it will be more polished with many of the problems being experience will be ironed out. bb10 phones will prob be out july/aug

qnx is the smoothest os bb has come out with... bb 10 is the blend and looking forward to this upgrade.

as a consumer, thats what i'm looking for in 2012

[herculesinwyoming]

playbook finishes steve jobs dream of no buttons to use the os

[onceyougoblackyounevergoback]

One happy PB owner here to tell ya, I prefer to roll incognito, and 7" is good enough for the girls I go out with!

If I wanted to lug around a small LCD TV, I would have bought an Asus transformer. While I'm at it, why don't I fashion an old top loading VHS player into a back pack and sport that too.

Oh, wait! I did buy an Asus Transformer! .... and gave it my eight year old the day the Playbooks went on sale.

[drecar]

Things are adding up and it is starting to make sense.
RIM has already written down the PB1 inventory to relect the reality of the sale prices.

RIM through it's retail channels and their own site are dumping PB1 to the masses in order to gernerate interest from software developers and consumer buzz.

PB1 in it's current form will not be produce anymore. Henze places like BB will not be carrying them.

OS2 will be release in Feb to run on PB1 so that it will please the existing customers and hopefully get others interested.

A PB2 runing OS2 or higher with different hardware or design or size (10"???) or a combination in order to bring the retail price of the tablet up to a profitable margin but lower than the competitors in order to compete.


If the PB2 is indeed a 10" (rumor), then possiblity a smaller PB2 (same size as the PB1 but with a 7.5" screen) with a lower price could be introduced as well or a bit later.

Just my 2012 predictions.....................

i think what we will see from rim for tablets is a playbook with a lte radio called the blackbook. then consumers can choose between bridge with a bb10 handset or the blackbook with the radio for pim.

[derekjdech]

id get an lte pb, but not ten inches. 7" is the perfect size

[bandminc]

My prediction.......samsung will own RIM by years end, PB will die, Samsung already has tablets

[rshew]

I expect that RIM is trying to reduce retailer stock so that when OS 2 comes out RIM can push out the Playbook with OS 2 preloaded. That would make sense if there's a major marketing blitz at the same time. If RIM plays their cards right and reviews are very favorable, new customers may flock to the PlayBook.

Once they buy the PlayBook, the customers will want to bring it home and use it right away. RIM's upgrade servers will be hammered by current owners upgrading their devices, so upgrades could take hours. If the new customers had to deal with upgrading for hours as soon as they get their PB, many will probably give up and return it; and the PlayBook will be freshly branded as a failure.

This makes a whole lot of sense!
I'm very glad I bought a PB 32G at a remarkable price and look forward to the upcoming upgrade in Feb.

[EricB1968]

I predict somewhere on the packaging of rims next tablet will have a picture of a red angry bird on it.

[Interloper.]

1. New Chairperson (note the Chairperson, not Chairman) to replace Mike and Jim.

2. Big announcement about getting back to core competencies to "Make us great again yada yada". That clears their "committed to tablet" schtick from the buffer.

3. Kill the PlayBook after Tablet OS 2 release. They have to put something out. Not saying it will be great, but something labeled 2.O. Maybe even in February! Tablet death date somewhere around May 2012.

4. Probably the above and other moves will be too little to late and RIM will be sold (more likely) or broken up and sold. Not sure about 4. Their "secure enterprise communications network" and a dwindling but still significant share of the handset market may allow them to survive intact. Or they could sell their handset division and try to pimp their network assets to other handset companies.

Regardless, there will be no PlayBook or any other tablet by RIM by the Summer of 2012. They simply can't go into another general shareholders meeting (late summer 2012) with this dog or its puppy alive.

The following or something very like the following has been landing on investors breakfast tables for the last 6 months:
"Much of the negative sentiment around RIM in 2011 was caused by the underwhelming launch and poor performance the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet computer, a device that was supposed to be RIM�s answer to rival Apple Inc.�s iPad. While some analysts expected RIM to sell several million PlayBooks in its first year, to date, RIM has sold only about 850,000."

Quote from todays business.financialpost.com. I like my quotes fresh but feel free to pick from dozens of others over the last several months.

[blackjack93117]

Are we taking bets here? I'm a gambling man.

Your quote here will be on my sig line in a year Interdoper. Oops typo! Dang lack of autocorrect...

[BB_Bmore]

10 inch is not the way to go.kindle fire ,nook color,and ipad 3 is slated to be a 7 inch tablet. 18 inch is too much like a laptop. i need portability.

[Lead_Express]

All of the clouded crystal balls aside, Playbook is a great product. The thing I notice is that no one even knows about it. People always ask me one of two questions when they see me on my tablet: 1. is that the new iPad? or 2. Is that the Kindle Fire?
RIM needs to combine the launch of a 2.0 loaded PB tablet with some serious advertising if they are going to knock this one out of the park. Otherwise this new OS will be even more money down the tube.

[Interloper.]

Are we taking bets here? I'm a gambling man.

Your quote here will be on my sig line in a year Interdoper. Oops typo! Dang lack of autocorrect...

Oh, hey Blackjack. What's up? Sorry brother, I like to stay on topic. I know you don't share my views on that. Look up, way up to the title of the thread. OK OK, I'll bring it down to you.
****My 2012 playbook predictions*****

If you'd like to contribute, that would be great. Otherwise, Blackjack, I'm going to assume you already know several good gambling sites you can go play on.

By the way, again with the ad hominems? Interdoper? Tres droll. Much better than� what did you call me yesterday?

[Megacharge]

Oh, hey Blackjack. What's up? Sorry brother, I like to stay on topic. I know you don't share my views on that. Look up, way up to the title of the thread. OK OK, I'll bring it down to you.
****My 2012 playbook predictions*****

If you'd like to contribute, that would be great. Otherwise, Blackjack, I'm going to assume you already know several good gambling sites you can go play on.

By the way, again with the ad hominems? Interdoper? Tres droll. Much better than… what did you call me yesterday?

I'm assuming you meant tr�s dr�le (very funny).

Just out of curiosity, what's up with the sig? are you aware of how the nature of that sig post appears, or are you innocently oblivious to it? I'm guessing by your above post you're fully aware of it, but correct me if I'm wrong.

I think if the mods see that, given your history of dislike toward Blackjack, and post history, they may be inclined to ban you for it. Just a friendly heads up you might want to take that down.

[Interloper.]

I'm assuming you meant tr�s dr�le (very funny).

Just out of curiosity, what's up with the sig? are you aware of how the nature of that sig post appears, or are you innocently oblivious to it? I'm guessing by your above post you're fully aware of it, but correct me if I'm wrong.

I think if the mods see that, given your history of dislike toward Blackjack, they may be inclined to ban you for it. Just a friendly heads up you might want to take that down.

Why can't people stay on topic? Do you have a Playbook prediction for 2012? Or are you just here to decrease the signal-to-noise ratio of this thread?
Here, I'll get you started:
In 2012 I think the PlayBook will...

Oh, in english the word is "droll".
droll (adjective): curious or unusual in a way that promotes dry amusement

[Megacharge]

I think RIM & the Playbook will do well in 2012, that's my prediction.

Why can't people stay on topic? Do you have a Playbook prediction for 2012? Or are you just here to decrease the signal-to-noise ratio of this thread?
Here, I'll get you started:
In 2012 I think the PlayBook will...

Oh, in english the word is "droll".
droll (adjective): curious or unusual in a way that promotes dry amusement

Ok, not sure what the "tres" was for then.

As for the being off topic, it happens sometimes, kind of like your response to me above. No big deal.

As for your sig and everything, I was just trying to help, if you're trying to get banned, then I'm sorry, I wont try to help you avoid it anymore.

Lets get back on topic please.

[Pearl9100]

Oh, hey Blackjack. What's up? Sorry brother, I like to stay on topic. I know you don't share my views on that. Look up, way up to the title of the thread. OK OK, I'll bring it down to you.
****My 2012 playbook predictions*****

If you'd like to contribute, that would be great. Otherwise, Blackjack, I'm going to assume you already know several good gambling sites you can go play on.

By the way, again with the ad hominems? Interdoper? Tres droll. Much better than� what did you call me yesterday?

I have nothing against blackjack (just not a fan of a certain color )but your signature is HILARIOUS!

As for my predictions, I too think that the pb will be killed off. Maybe by this summer...who knows. But they cannot keep selling these devices at a loss. They will put a stop to this one way or another. It makes no business sense to continue to plow forward with this strategy. This uncertainty is definitely keeping me from buying a pb. I doesn't matter how many discounts a retailer/company gives me, I will not buy tech equipment that is discontinued.

I really want rim to succeed, but I don't see the fire in their belly that they need. Maybe Rim will come out of this leaner and meaner after they make a few cuts (product and staff wise)

[VerryBestr]

My predictions for the PlayBook and/or other RIM tablet:

RIM will keep dribbling out its stock of the current PlayBook model via various sorts of sales and promotions, until the version 2 software is out.

The PlayBooks remaining in stock will be repackaged, perhaps with some new accessories, and pre-loaded with the new software. That is the planned "relaunch" -- accompanied by a lot of publicity, I suspect.

If the relaunched model with new software is reasonably successful, then RIM will also launch the LTE version which can be promoted and financed by US carriers.

RIM will bring out a larger model during the year.

If RIM does give up on the PlayBook, then it can basically write off its future in enterprise and government markets, and look for another role in life. RIM must have something that is a reasonable alternative to the iPad, or else competitors (Apple? perhaps even Microsoft?) will essentially wipe RIM out in enterprise and government markets. Most enterprise CIOs carry an iPad, and they were not impressed by the PlayBook. In my opinion, reversing their opinion of the PlayBook is absolutely necessary for RIM in these markets. Since I don't see RIM giving up on these markets, I don't see RIM giving up on tablets.

Can RIM continue selling PlayBooks at a loss? Well, RIM has already written off projected losses from the PlayBooks it has in stock. If sales continue at a few hundred thousand per quarter, the current stock will last for several more quarters.

RIM sells over 10 million phones per quarter. It can continue selling several hundred thousand tablets per quarter at a loss for years. But I think RIM will move to a strategy combining entry level tablet(s) at/below cost with more expensive profitable models.

Every PlayBook in the hands of a consumer is a small step towards developing an app ecosystem for the BB10 launch. For whatever reason, RIM has abandoned its initial plan of a "BB player" in BB10 which would have carried over current BB apps to BB10. RIM has put all its eggs in one basket, PlayBook apps (whether native or Android).

The PlayBook is do or die for RIM's core enterprise/government markets, and it is do or die for BB10 <-- my opinion, of course.