[esk369]

Why the Apple iPad Mini matters | Stark Insider
I just read this off appygeek and I'm wondering what this could mean for the playbook sales and any future BlackBerry tablet offerings?
There's already a lot of competition in the 7" tablet market and I'm thinking that price will play a major part on how this could affect Rim.

[jagdriver]

It shows that bb was right from the start.

[Harborcoat]

I honestly don't see it making a difference at this point. Playbook has never really sold well anyway (which is a shame).

[esk369]

@jagdriver.
Can you expand on that a little?

[Tre Lawrence]

It shows that bb was right from the start.

It shows that RIM, in the case of the PB, failed horribly with execution. It shows great hardware means little with no content, perceived or otherwise.

It also shows that pricing is key.

With Apple supposedly entering the smaller sized tablet space, everyone else suffers, even if only a little bit.

[esk369]

I honestly don't see it making a difference at this point. Playbook has never really sold well anyway (which is a shame).

But does a 300 dollar ipad mini kill the pb?

[esk369]

It shows that RIM, in the case of the PB, failed horribly with execution. It shows great hardware means little with no content, perceived or otherwise.

It also shows that pricing is key.

With Apple supposedly entering the smaller sized tablet space, everyone else suffers, even if only a little bit.

Asking you to play armchair CEO what in your opinion can rim do (if anything) to combat this?

[Roo Zilla]

But does a 300 dollar ipad mini kill the pb?

The iPad Mini will have almost no effect on Playbook sales or sales of any other future RIM tablets. The only people who will continue to buy Playbooks are those who have to buy them, or those who would pick Playbook over anything else anyway. Price of the iPad Mini could potentially devastate sales of other similarly featured 7" tablets that are priced at $300 or above. The most likely price for iPad Mini? Since the new iPod Touch 32GB is selling for $300, I'd say about $300 for the 16GB model, perhaps $350. I'm assuming a couple of things at the $300-$350 price point. I'm assuming it will use the A5 processor, not the A6 or A5X. I'm assuming it won't have a retina display, most likely same resolution as the iPad 2. That would price the 16GB iPad line at $300, $400, and $500.

[Tre Lawrence]

Asking you to play armchair CEO what in your opinion can rim do (if anything) to combat this?

LOL... in my world (where I have never run a million dollar business)?

I would definitely hold of on any new PBs till the content stores get more mature, post BB10 launch. I don't know if RIM can afford to manufacture a tablet with the quality of the PB and sell it at competitive prices, but it has to try.

I think that at the root of the matter is the fact that most people purchase tablets for entertainment first. This is conjecture on my part, but I think that until that issue is solved, Apple will always have the edge.

[esk369]

Thanks for the contributions guy's I would like to pick this up later as looking at my watch that its getting time for CB forum facelift

[Jonathan-Archer]

Why do people still have the illusion the pb will suddenly be hot item once bb10 gets released? Forget it, not gonna happen, ever. This what it is and I'm fine with it and mnsy others are as well but people do not even know this thing exists.

As for thr Ipad. It has an apple logo so all those morons will queue up anyway, and people probably do not know of any other 7" tablet to begin with. Many will believe its the world's first.

[all3n7]

I don't see anything competetive against Playbook, now with version 2.1, its more versatile than any other Tablets, RIM may not have a huge volume off apps, but most of these apps integrates with each other, which I find it very useful. And RIM is working hard to bring more developers in, to create more apps that will functions the same way of integrations( BB10 ) One key feature is BBM that supports most of the apps in Blackberry App World. Now with Playbook 2.1. Asides from beeing able to view/recieves and sends sms text using Playbook thru Bridge from BB phones is a revolutionary way of communication. ipad mini is just another redundant device, iphone 4,4s,5, ipod touch, ipad All functions the same way only on a different sizes. iOS as Kevin M. claimed is the oldest flatform now. No hates on Apple, but it is true, though.

[Tre Lawrence]

I don't see anything competetive against Playbook, now with version 2.1, its more versatile than any other Tablets, RIM may not have a huge volume off apps, but most of these apps integrates with each other, which I find it very useful. And RIM is working hard to bring more developers in, to create more apps that will functions the same way of integrations( BB10 ) One key feature is BBM that supports most of the apps in Blackberry App World. Now with Playbook 2.1. Asides from beeing able to view/recieves and sends sms text using Playbook thru Bridge from BB phones is a revolutionary way of communication. ipad mini is just another redundant device, iphone 4,4s,5, ipod touch, ipad All functions the same way only on a different sizes. iOS as Kevin M. claimed is the oldest flatform now. No hates on Apple, but it is true, though.

Even RIM doesn't believe that.

As I noted at another one of your posts, that is not unique; at least one other platforms does WITHOUT the restriction of the two devices being in proximity of each other.

Not saying you shouldn't be ecstatic about having the ability, but I truly hope RIM does not think syncing data between two devices is revolutionary. That's dangerous.

[richardat]

@jagdriver.
Can you expand on that a little?

LOL. I think he means the 7 inch form factor. When Samsung and others were entering the market with 7 inch tablets in late 2010, Steve Jobs originally APPARENTLY didn't think the 7 inch screen was the way to go. He seemed to think that the 10 inch screen was the best/most functional. He cited Apple user-testing....regarding things like finger size, app size, etc....and declared that 7 inches was too small. He also said he thought that it was a "tweener" size between a cell phone and tablet and that there would be no market for it! There is actually an oft-cited comment he made that the 7inch tablet would be "DOA"....that one is a bit of a misrepresentation though. He actually said the "current crop" of 7 inch tablets would be DOA, and he also mentioned the problems with early Android, and the lack of apps.

Some people think he was actually hiding Apple's intentions, some think he was just making idle comments about what he was thinking at that moment, some think he simply was mistaken about the potential market for 7 inch tablets......regardless of whether he was hiding something, or whether he actually believed a 7 inch tablet was no good, apparently, he had also changed his mind by Jan 2011, and thus, Apple began thinking about doing a 7 inch tablet also.

PS. One thing I will say about the 7 inch market is that I think it's going to become awfully hard to make a buck there...which doesn't bode well for the Playbook or any other smaller player. If Ipad moves in, it could take over the premium end of the market, and the low-end is going to get cheaper and cheaper. RIM and others might end up having to keep taking losses if they want to sell.....if Apple comes in cheap, everyone else may have no choice but to go well below 200. Good for consumers though....who knows, in the near future, there might be a number of quality tablets being blown out for 100$!

[CrackedBarry]

Absolutely nothing.

The PB sold around one hundred thousand units last quarter. (They shipped what? 120.000 or 130.000.)
It's dead already, what do you want to do? Kill it twice?

[Balti43]

just out of curiosity, wouldnt it make sense for when bb10 comes out, and they release the next tablet, to sell it relatively cheap, to get more people in the ecosystem, then raise the price as time goes on?

[esk369]

LOL. I think he means the 7 inch form factor. When Samsung and others were entering the market with 7 inch tablets in late 2010, Steve Jobs originally APPARENTLY didn't think the 7 inch screen was the way to go. He seemed to think that the 10 inch screen was the best/most functional. He cited Apple user-testing....regarding things like finger size, app size, etc....and declared that 7 inches was too small. He also said he thought that it was a "tweener" size between a cell phone and tablet and that there would be no market for it! There is actually an oft-cited comment he made that the 7inch tablet would be "DOA"....that one is a bit of a misrepresentation though. He actually said the "current crop" of 7 inch tablets would be DOA, and he also mentioned the problems with early Android, and the lack of apps.

Some people think he was actually hiding Apple's intentions, some think he was just making idle comments about what he was thinking at that moment, some think he simply was mistaken about the potential market for 7 inch tablets......regardless of whether he was hiding something, or whether he actually believed a 7 inch tablet was no good, apparently, he had also changed his mind by Jan 2011, and thus, Apple began thinking about doing a 7 inch tablet also.

PS. One thing I will say about the 7 inch market is that I think it's going to become awfully hard to make a buck there...which doesn't bode well for the Playbook or any other smaller player. If Ipad moves in, it could take over the premium end of the market, and the low-end is going to get cheaper and cheaper. RIM and others might end up having to keep taking losses if they want to sell.....if Apple comes in cheap, everyone else may have no choice but to go well below 200. Good for consumers though....who knows, in the near future, there might be a number of quality tablets being blown out for 100$!

I think your right about a new mini taking over the high end segment does this leave rim fighting it out for scraps with price wars with some of the better known names or worse with the cobys and the plethora of no name crappel tablets out on the market as one other posted a shame indeed.

[esk369]

Absolutely nothing.

The PB sold around one hundred thousand units last quarter. (They shipped what? 120.000 or 130.000.)
It's dead already, what do you want to do? Kill it twice?

I definitely see what your saying I'm just wondering if as I said a 300 mini does in fact make the pb die a 2nd time and for that matter why does it have to?

[esk369]

just out of curiosity, wouldnt it make sense for when bb10 comes out, and they release the next tablet, to sell it relatively cheap, to get more people in the ecosystem, then raise the price as time goes on?

I'm not sure if the continuation of the low price strategy will back fire in rims face.
Especially when and if they come out with a 2nd tablet offering.
And to take it a step further I think if a 2nd bb tab is on the table it would have to be in the 10inch form factor.

[PineappleUnderTheSea]

As for thr Ipad. It has an apple logo so all those morons will queue up anyway, and people probably do not know of any other 7" tablet to begin with. Many will believe its the world's first.

No need to call people morons, take a pill and relax. Everyone knows there is a 7" tablet, it's called the Kindle Fire. It's basically a PB that sells well.

[DonnyVantage]

No need to call people morons, take a pill and relax. Everyone knows there is a 7" tablet, it's called the Kindle Fire. It's basically a PB that sells well.

Well he's pretty much right.

[PineappleUnderTheSea]

Well he's pretty much right.

Sure, but that can apply to any brand. Look at us here on Crackberry, waiting months and months for BB10 and swearing to Jebus that we won't buy anything else until it comes out (I still can't believe I'm hanging on to my 9800 until BB10 comes on). It's kinda the same blind brand loyalty. The difference is that I didn't buy a PB, at least I'm not brainwashed enough to have realized that the PB was severely lacking when it launched. But I'll likely buy a BB10 phone sight unseen...

[randall2580]

We have passed the period that RIM should have updated the PlayBook to the "next generation". It is understandable that hasn't been done for two very important reasons; they haven't sold out of the 1st gen, and its certainly better now to wait on BB10 when most of the complaints for PB #1 should be addressed to everyone's satisfaction. The next gen PlayBook should not hear any of the complaints this one has heard from day #1 some of which remain un-addressed, leading to the point where if it's not the cheapest tablet on the table - it doesn't sell.

I feel any question that compares this PlayBook to the latest and greatest is unfair. The iPad mini will sell more tablets before Christmas than RIM has sold to date of the PlayBook is my guess. RIM won't have an answer until BB10 is available on the next generation of it's tablets and even then will find it as hard to compete with the iPad as every single tablet issued to date has had.

[LuvULongTime]

An iPad mini at a competitive price is great news! Competition is a wonderful thing. This will only drive other companies to compete harder and better. We will all benefit from this. Whether or not the PB survives the tablet war is up for debate. I think they can if they deliver on content, stay a step ahead of apple from a HW perspective, and keep their price below apple.

[esk369]

An iPad mini at a competitive price is great news! Competition is a wonderful thing. This will only drive other companies to compete harder and better. We will all benefit from this. Whether or not the PB survives the tablet war is up for debate. I think they can if they deliver on content, stay a step ahead of apple from a HW perspective, and keep their price below apple.

I agree wholeheartedly about competition being good for the consumer in fact I made a similar comment recently about a competitively priced I mini.
And if I may....... I love your crackberry name makes me smile every time I see it reminds me of that scene in full metal jaket with Matthew modine.