[Economist101]

This guy or his editor don't seem to actually read the news. Isn't the PlayBook the top selling tablet in Canada behind the iPad? Perhaps it was just a Reuters USA story regurgitated onto the Canadian wires.

Canada's entire population is only slightly higher (if it's higher at all) than California's, so selling well there isn't enough to consider a device successful.

[dandbj13]

Second.. It appears as if Thorsten has taken a page from the Apple playbook. Which isn't necessarily a bad idea.

It took 25 posts to get an Apple comparison. That's an improvement. It usually comes much sooner.

[anon(4018671)]

Also by delaying the meeting they are taking the past "off the table" for discussion.
RIM needs to make a clear break between the old BBOS and the new QNX based OS with Cascades, this is the start I guess.

[manofice1]

At WES (BBWC) RIM would set aside a good bit of time to perform a show and tell. They wouldnt necessarily outright show the new product, just demonstrate some features, show a promo video, etc. I believe this move by RIM is a good one. First, they can give the analysts real world experience on the devices, rather than just (seemingly) another vaporware promo video. Second they can truly discuss the direction of the company now that BB10 is out. Keep in mind nothing has been discussed past BB10, there is no roadmap past that, that anyone has talked about. Third, and finally, it gives Thorsten 9 months before he sits down with them, rather than 4 months.

So does that mean at BBW this year we won't see anything new and cool and exciting?

[dandbj13]

What does this mean, if anything, for the PB? It seems the PB is the real boat anchor that dragged RIM down to where it is. If they are going all in on phones and ignoring the mistakes of last year as if they never happened, what does that mean for the new PB they are about to release?

Personally, I think it should be all hands on phone development. If, however, they continue with the PB, they are going to have to face questions about the PB that they would rather not deal with.

[Sith_Apprentice]

The PB isnt a boat anchor it is their dev platform for BB10. The entire reason the Playbook exists is to prepare for BB10.

[anon(4018671)]

Where have you been dandbj13?? PB is the stepping stone to BB10, so development for the PB will help the phone.

[dandbj13]

The PB isnt a boat anchor it is their dev platform for BB10. The entire reason the Playbook exists is to prepare for BB10.

I don't think we will ever agree on that. RIM is getting ready to hand out phones that will be the official dev platform for BB10. Saying that of the PB is just the talking point for supporters writing revisionist history so that the PB is something other than the failure it has been.

RIM certainly never positioned the PB as a dev platform for BB10. They didn't market it that way. They didn't sell it to end users that way. They didn't position it that way. If they were to do so at this point, they would be open to a class action suit that would destroy the company. The PB is not a dev platform for the phones; it is just another iPad killer that didn't.

RIM either has to make a clean break from it, or they have to talk about it from a business perspective. They can't talk about it as a dev platform for BB10. The last thing they said about it was around CES. At that time, they were boasting that they would show why OS2 was the best app platform in the industry, followed by promises of thousands of apps to be released with 2.0. They can't just keep saying stupid stuff about this product, then pretending they never said it just weeks later.

[anon(757282)]

What does this mean, if anything, for the PB? It seems the PB is the real boat anchor that dragged RIM down to where it is. If they are going all in on phones and ignoring the mistakes of last year as if they never happened, what does that mean for the new PB they are about to release?

Personally, I think it should be all hands on phone development. If, however, they continue with the PB, they are going to have to face questions about the PB that they would rather not deal with.

The PlayBook is not a boat anchor. Under the prior CEO regime, it was released with little or no marketing that contributed to a thin ecosystem. A key proprietary feature like bridge that could have bouyed both BB and PB was virtually ignored by RIM so ignored by others except BB users

Under the new CEO, a key OS update was released, that added what many felt were missing pieces, as well as additional capability. Marketing and product placement is increasing. App ecosystem with native and android apps is growing fast. Prices were adjusted to be market competitive. New PB will be released shortly that will rival the new ipad, and avoid the heat issue. PB is not competing head-to-head with ipad to overcome it. PB is competing with the android and windows (if there are any left) tablets, and will pull market share from the growing tablet market. PB is a key part of the RIM ecosystem, and sales will continue to grow.

[robsteve]

Canada's entire population is only slightly higher (if it's higher at all) than California's, so selling well there isn't enough to consider a device successful.

The story was on the Toronto Reuters feed. You would think they could check some of the Canadian facts to make it more relevant to Canada.