What if BlackBerry Gets Out of the Tablet Game?

I sold my playbook in order to have some $$ to put towards a BB10 phone on launch day. Since I got rid of it, I have been doing a lot of pondering on tablets, integration, and RIM.

Let's start with Apple. You can live in an Apple box. You can use a Mac computer, iPad, iPhone, iPod, etc. Everything syncs nicely, and you can dive into proprietary software as deep as you want. You could theoretically never need to use anything non-Apple

Next is Microsoft. You can likely do anything you need to using a Microsoft product. With Windows 8, they have taken the Apple approach to offering a Computer, Tablet, Phone, as well as integrating into their gaming systems. All Microsoft, and all compatible.

Android allows its OS to spread like a virus. It isn't part of a "set", and the tablets and phones are generally stand alone products. It is tied into Google's services. Use Gmail, Maps, Calendar, Android phone. Because anyone can make an android phone, it is very successful.

BlackBerry is a communications device. They do not offer a computer OS, complete with software, proprietary file types, etc. They are stand alone. You cannot meet all your technology needs using only BlackBerry OS. So what if instead of trying to meet all our needs, BlackBerry focused on integrating with our existing solutions? RIM already has QNX in cars, etc., but I'm talking about integrating with other devices. Maybe develop an iPad app that allows syncing with BlackBerry 10 phone? Allow BB10 to work with whatever you have, so you're not pressured into an ecosystem that is not as robust device and software-wise as the other players.

I'm starting to see a BlackBerry 10 tablet as somewhat pointless from the point of view as a laptop replacement. The Nexus 7 was disappointing for some because of the lack of tablet apps. I think Apple has it right with drawing the line between phone and tablet, and keeping the "scaled up phone apps" off of their tablet. I think Windows 8 tablets will be successful for the same reason. I would personally like to see BlackBerry focus on the phone, communications, etc. If they only have one OS, they can't compete with MS or Apple in the "total package" game, so why not hang back and create an ultimate platform agnostic smartphone? Android is somewhat a step in that direction, but BlackBerry could take it further.

With BB10...I think our BBID will become more prominent and you will see all the services connected to the cloud.

Music, Video, Apps, Docs, BBM, Email...all sync and connected through your BBID

Thor says he wants to be the leader in mobile communications. He can't do that without a tablet. Frankly, I think laptops are the segment in most danger. If you can rent a "virtual PC" from the cloud then all you really need is a tablet/phone with a decent screen/keyboard so you can access it. I'd hazard a guess that most people's needs could be completely met by a cloud based PC as long as you had some way to get custom software installed on it. About the only thing I use my laptop for when I'm travelling these days is for making powerpoint slides because Office to Go is too crippled for that. With Office 365, you can get to a cloud based office suite that can be accessed from any citrix type enabled device. The phones are too small for this, but a tablet... would work well - especially with the phone as a keyboard. I just wish they'd kept the trackpad as a mouse is still handy in the PC world. Windows 8 will help that somewhat but for some applications (Powerpoint, Draw, Autocad, etc) a mouse is mandatory.

Rims not getting out of the tablet game. They want to be a leader in mobile and must offer phones ,tablets,phablets etc .
The photos of Thor at the Lakers game show him carrying a bb10 device and also a PlayBook, Id put money on the fact that his PlayBook was running BlackBerry10. I think we may even see something like a next gen PlayBook announced Jan 30....guess we shall see.:)

Another thing ,the interview with bloomberg Thor says something like " we are not just building a new mobile or tablet os, we..." Why mention tablet at all if they were exiting the tablet business? The tablet market is only going to grow imo and Rim needs to cater to that as well as smartphones.

BlackBerry10 is not just a smartphone OS <<<Thorsten Hiens interview with engadget

i honestly dont see laptops being replaced for some people any time soon. They are becoming thinning and lighter all the time...and nothing beats an actual keyboard most times for typing.

Now there are times where you can leave the laptop behind and just take the tablet with you but everyone still has a laptop for the most part. if all you do is webrowsing then you might get by. But any student or businessman still needs full office suite. This is where MS might have an advantage with what they are doing with their tablets. Any kind of good photo or video work still needs the processing power. Many things still just require a laptop.

As for RIM and the tablet game...they just started. Sure the first go of it almost killed the entire company but they will be much better on the next interation now.

I don't think either tablets or laptops will later exist alone but they will amalgamate to form some kind of hybrid - Sony already has such a product out called Vaio Duo, which I think looks pretty nice. I'd rather get this than the Surface tablet.

Looked at the Sony Vaio Duo. It does fold up so you have the keyboard under the 11.6" screen but at 2.87 pounds most people aren't going to want to hold it for very long. And the $1099 plus price puts it a little upscale. It certainly looks like a nice machine with solid state drive and enough RAM do some real work. What RIM could do would be make a 10+ inch tablet with a dockable keyboard so that the tablet alone weighed less than 520 grams and the total was less than 1000 grams. The Asus Transformer Pad 700 is an example of the hybrid of TABLET/ultrabook while the Sony Vaio Duo is an example of the ULTRABOOK/tablet.

Everyone will say I'm an IDEeiiioottt but I think we will see something other than the two phones to be unveiled Jan 30, maybe something like you just explained. BlackForrest is on the road map, this we know but I think RIM is really gonna try and hit hard with BlackBerry10. It's a whole new beginning for them and I'm sure they are gonna come out swinging. Thorsten has a look on his face in all these interviews that just screams confidence. What does RIM have up the sleeve???

Originally Posted by jpash549

Looked at the Sony Vaio Duo. It does fold up so you have the keyboard under the 11.6" screen but at 2.87 pounds most people aren't going to want to hold it for very long. And the $1099 plus price puts it a little upscale. It certainly looks like a nice machine with solid state drive and enough RAM do some real work. What RIM could do would be make a 10+ inch tablet with a dockable keyboard so that the tablet alone weighed less than 520 grams and the total was less than 1000 grams. The Asus Transformer Pad 700 is an example of the hybrid of TABLET/ultrabook while the Sony Vaio Duo is an example of the ULTRABOOK/tablet.

Don't misunderstand me, I don't believe laptops are in any danger of dying either, but I do think that less and less people will decide they need both a laptop and a tablet and therefore laptops will become under increasing pressure to maintain existing volumes. As tablets mature, people will use a tablet for personal productivity while mobile. If you look at most business professionals today, they are dragging around both. I spent almost 11 months traveling around the world with a netbook and 2 thinkpads for our family. The netbook was only used for uploading pictures from the camera (because the Playbooks don't have SD-RAM or USB host capabilities) and typing long blog entries (I didn't have the PlayBook keyboard then but it isn't a great experience yet on the PlayBook as it is still a bit unresponsive occasionally and as a touch typist, that drives me nuts when the keyboard can't keep up). I'm sure RIM/other manufacturers can address the keyboard issues but until you can fully function with MS Office etc from a mobile device, the laptop will stick around. That being said, with most people focusing on the web, facebook and media consumption for their day to day computing needs, tablets are becoming more and more ubiquitous which is where RIM is going with their mobile everywhere strategy. So, no I don't think that RIM will abandon the tablet market and I think the tablet market is about to get a lot bigger than it already is as more people decide a tablet is "enough". My mom (in her 70's) has never gotten into computers... the keyboard intimidates her but she loves her iPad and is now out on facebook and watching the web.... she wasn't part of the PC market but she's definitely in the tablet market... that's a growing segment. Can RIM compete there? We'll see. But it's a fight I'm going to love to watch.

I hope RIM doesn't get out of the tablet business.. Cos smart phones and tablets are booming.. And they have an advantage for BlackBerry users with features like Bridge (for those who use it..)
As a matter of fact I hope they put out a "youth" edition tablet at some point with a bit of design flair to it.. The present rectangular look gives it the corporate look (though not a biggie..) :P

Originally Posted by black.rhino

BlackBerry is a communications device. They do not offer a computer OS, complete with software, proprietary file types, etc. They are stand alone. You cannot meet all your technology needs using only BlackBerry OS. So what if instead of trying to meet all our needs, BlackBerry focused on integrating with our existing solutions?

Well not really.. QNX has been available for purchase since ages.. And it runs just fine on computers too. And considering it is unix like most if not all linux apps can be ported to it with some work.. But QNX has been marketed for different purposes than mass daily usage.. As its microkernel arch has proven to be suited for such things as embedded systems and servers..


As for tablets replacing laptops I think it will not happen simply due to "individual needs":
1. Most tablets presently marketed are based on ARM arch.. They are designed to be power efficient.. Which may fall short on processing power a bit.. And so they have been largely adopted for SoCs which our phones and tablets use.. However with Intel bringing in its Medfield like x86 is also entering the battle.. Will it take over the market from ARM? Have to wait and see..
2. So a guy who want to use MS Office might be happy with the tablet.. But will it satisfy the gamers and Multimedia people who need processor and graphics power.. Likely not..
3. Applications.. Even if the Windows RT is available for tablets.. The Windows apps from desktop/laptops will not run out of the box on the tablets Simply because they are compiled for x86 arch and not ARM.. So people who "need" these apps will be happy with their laptops..
4. Modularity (I couldn't think of a better word): You get a PlayBook: you get a 1 Gz dual core processor with a certain graphics chipset and memory etc.. The only choice you have is at the Storage space.. Some people need more choice.. They need different processors, sound cards, graphics cards etc..
5. Laptops come with almost any specifications you want.. And at the end of the day you cannot have a one size fit all type of things.. Which is atleast the "present" tablets.. What future holds we will never know..
And considering the way laptops are getting thinner and lighter by the day yet remaining processor and graphics powerhouses.. I don't think they are in a hurry to go anywhere..


As for integration again depends on each persons need.. Personally I don't require any integration between my devices.. I use the following Linux on Desktop, Windows on Laptop, PlayBook as tablet and a Nokia Symbian s60 phone (yes it is ancient but works for me)..

When the future becomes the present those of us who are still around will know what it holds. You used to be a beautiful baby- but oh baby look at you now.