[koool1]

RIM seems to have pulled the playbook from most US store shelves (Best Buy, Staples etc). Why would RIM do this right before Christmas? Makes no sense to me!

[togardergrosse]

RIM seems to have pulled the playbook from most US store shelves (Best Buy, Staples etc). Why would RIM do this right before Christmas? Makes no sense to me!

I believe the correct terms is not 'pulled', but out of stock.
Most sites claims that RIM pulled PB from stores, but CB already did a post that PB is actually sold out in most stores.
Read BlackBerry PlayBook out of stock at major retailers | CrackBerry.com
versus RIM's PlayBook tablet pulled from US online stores - Computerworld

[netwerks1]

Okaaaay, pulled from the shelves or out of stock...either way the shelves are bare. So what's cooking? Is RIM going to restock the stores? Release a new or updated one? Aside from the release of the 3/4g ones, what's coming for wifi?

[togardergrosse]

Okaaaay, pulled from the shelves or out of stock...either way the shelves are bare. So what's cooking? Is RIM going to restock the stores? Release a new or updated one? Aside from the release of the 3/4g ones, what's coming for wifi?

The price become the major point PB getting out of stock. And I don't see RIM willingly to re-produce another batch of WiFi PlayBook.
The 4G/LTE one is still available I believe. As for next models, it will be long until we see another tablet from RIM.
They are focusing on BB10 phones. And if it's successful (I really hope so), it will be easy to made a 'bigger' phones (aka Tablet) with or withot cellular.
But hey, what do I know

[kbz1960]

RIM will get no holiday love this year as they have nothing new to sell yet.

[netwerks1]

Thanks for the update, even if it's sad and disappointing. Reckon I'll look at a windows surface in Jan when it comes out with a better version of windows than RT. Hopefully by or around then, I'll be playing with a new BB10 phone too!

[eddy_berry]

eBay? There are some new listed under $200. PlayBook are going to get BB10 free next year so you can save some money and get a good tablet that compliments your phone. The blackberry waiting game hasn't been fun but I appreciate this device more and more with each update. It's been a valuable asset when doing sales sheets, documents and nowadays for my school work. Although if your interested in Surface and your used to Windows OS, you will find getting used to it easier but I'm sure your wallet will be hurting something bad when you get everything you need on it.

[bdegrande]

At the prices people are willing to buy the PlayBook at, RIM is surely losing money on each sale. All restocking will do is make them lose money faster.

[koool1]

Okaaaay, pulled from the shelves or out of stock...either way the shelves are bare. So what's cooking? Is RIM going to restock the stores? Release a new or updated one? Aside from the release of the 3/4g ones, what's coming for wifi?

Ya - don't think they suddenly sold out. RIM pulled them for some reason.

I get that demand is low and this is a 1 1/2 year old tablet but it seems like the time to pull is January, not now!

I suspect Best Buy etc saw sales grinding to a halt with all the new product out there and said to RIM - please take these back.

[diegonei]

Ya - don't think they suddenly sold out. RIM pulled them for some reason.

I get that demand is low and this is a 1 1/2 year old tablet but it seems like the time to pull is January, not now!

I suspect Best Buy etc saw sales grinding to a halt with all the new product out there and said to RIM - please take these back.

Yeah... I bet you'll try to tell us that the TouchPad at $99 didn't sell as well...

Units are selling. Let's face it, it was too expensive in comparison when it came out, but the price slash was all it needed to sell.

[zorecati]

Ya - don't think they suddenly sold out. RIM pulled them for some reason.

I get that demand is low and this is a 1 1/2 year old tablet but it seems like the time to pull is January, not now!

I suspect Best Buy etc saw sales grinding to a halt with all the new product out there and said to RIM - please take these back.

Err none of this makes any sense at all. What are you basing your information on?

[RubberChicken76]

Is this RIM's choice? Retailers only have so much space and PlayBook wasn't exactly a big seller except when on big sale. It might be sold out and the room may be given to something else.

I also would question whether or not Thorsten will sink more money into a mess he inherited from Mike and Jim. If he's cleared out the glut of inventory in the channel and warehouses, why would he sink more $$$ into PlayBook to sell it at a loss?

[SonySandy]

Question is, is the PB selling at a loss? It costs buttons to make these things in big numbers, hence why the Touchpad got something like 3 extra production runs when it was listed at its firesale price.

Plus getting all the "old (but compatible)" stock off shelves and into consumers homes means all the more kit to test your new OS on when it releases. Plenty of us don't mind being early field trial for the new OS in advance of the new handsets coming out. Apple do it with iOS, if you've got a compatible handset you get about 5 days on the new device being released, if there was a major flaw in the new iOS it would be outed just before handset release, and although it wouldn't be rectified by release day you can bet a team of fix it guys will be working on the solution.

[NFLPLAYBOOK]

Expect to see another run of the 32 and 64G models just before Christmas. I plan on getting some for presents.

[asvab7]

To begin with as an employee of one of the big box retailers, the playbook was recalled! Best buy wss one of the only retailers that had them in store and here in new york, you couldn't find a salesperson that would not tell you that "you needed" to hsve a blackberry phone to go with it or they made sure to steer you toward the ipad and android tablets. Sears still has them yet theprices are still sky damned high for no reason. The playbook was bastardized by the carriers when consumers learned that you could not use your phone's data plan to surf the web. With that bit of info, intrest was dead on arrival!

[asvab7]

To further my comments. I found on 16 gigabyte tablet at a walmart location in latham, ny. One of my employees has it on layaway. From info i can gather, there are 2 located in cobelskill at radio shack still waiting on owners. No one else has them on hand and based uopn my questions, they don't want them! I love mine and so does everyone who looks at it but they are too difficult to find at a good price and from a reputable source.

[papped]

At the prices people are willing to buy the PlayBook at, RIM is surely losing money on each sale. All restocking will do is make them lose money faster.

The current stock they have is already written off. There's nothing more to lose.

[hreiner1]

not correct
I use my PB 64 since about 15 months bridged with my Tmobile BB 9780
I never had a problem to tmobile

[madman0141]

I don't know seems pretty stupid to me. Why you wouldn't market a tablet that will be $99 probably before Xmas is dumb.
I guess it makes sense to somebody somewhere.

[RubberChicken76]

The current stock they have is already written off. There's nothing more to lose.

Unless they're out of 'current stock' and have to make a choice to make more or not stock.

[DC506]

"You can't sell apples from an empty cart"

[fj_cruiser]

the online store now has them further discounted (or may be am just finding it out)... the 16gig is for $149... i might snag one (for a present) at that price. Or do yall know if there's a better place/price to get a new 16gig?

[eddy_berry]

Many posters here are saying that playbook is sold at a loss. I don't think so. In financial terms not making any profit is a loss but, in math terms its neither a gain nor a loss. The PlayBook at $200 was not sold below its production cost; there was still a very low profit margin. Its original price was competitive with brand name tablets because, 18 months ago, BB was a strong tech brand and could easily sell at higher prices. RIM made the mistake of rushing the unfinished product which cost them good public standing. That, paired with the "run for the hills" media, meant slower sales on all BB products. Playbook did not sell at a loss. Blackberry is selling them at a lower price knowing they will not make the same astronomical profit their investors were hoping for. Their only real gain from it is to make sure Playbook is out there for the public to see its true potential. Even though it has taken them some time. Media scrutiny over the playbook launch really exacerbated the damage caused by RIM's initial mistake. Probably why so many people have already written them off. I think at the current price you are really seeing the last of them sell out. And that isn't surprising; it's a good tablet.

[eddy_berry]

Yeah... I bet you'll try to tell us that the TouchPad at $99 didn't sell as well...

Units are selling. Let's face it, it was too expensive in comparison when it came out, but the price slash was all it needed to sell.

I like your comment. Except, the price slash was necessary to sell the product once everyone realized it was an unfinished product. I think the original price would have sold if a) the product was as good now as it was when it was launched or b) RIM kept their traps shut longer and buzzed the product when OS2.0 was ready. This would have kept a lot of negativity out of the media.

[Tha.Housewife]

there's a million other tablets to compete with (1)...(2)..to save money and put towards the bb10 phones. that's the main priority. after the bb10 launch, I'm sure they're be working on the 10 inch playbook "blackforest"...