[Jake-44]

Microsoft is going to make a big move soon to move aggressively into the smartphone arena - with or without RIM, MS is gearing up for it.

RIM just keeps shooting itself in the foot. They had the smartphone market in their back pocket, forgot that regular consumers, not the enterprise market, is going to drive the future and were too slow or arrogant to adapt.

Now RIM is playing catch up. They had a good idea with the Playbook, but putting out a half-baked product that was not ready for prime time resulted in terrible initial reviews that has hurt sales.

I love my BBs, but the reality of the situation is that RIM is falling in market share, is coming out with phones that are lagging in the bling consumers want and MS is just waiting in the wings.

If you had a winning lottery ticket, where you had to pick one of two choices as your prize - either $10,000 worth of RIM stock or $10,000 worth of Apple stock - I wonder which choice the vast majority of people would make?

I really hope RIM can pull out of this slump - the Bold Touch appears to be a great phone, however, by the time they finally come out with the BT later this year, it may be too late for RIM to stop the bleeding.

[altrax]

Uhhh that is easy i`d take the RIM stock and sell when it hits $55 for a profit

[grahamf]

I'd take RIM's stock, too. They're still making a big profit every year and increasing their number of subscribers. As soon as this fact homes in on the analysts RIM's stock could theoretically double or more.

Not for another year or two, though.

[drethos]

if microsoft was to buy out blackberry, that will be the day i throw away all my bb devices pour my self a big tall glass of apple juice and become assimilated. it's bad anoff microsoft is the unholy demon god that still to this day controls most of the computer technology we use. but thank fully this idea will go the way it always has and the zune, it will die and rot.
i really would rather be stalked by steve jobs and become one of millions of mindless sheeple, then walk around with a microsoft device that isn't a laptop.
on a side note there is no way i would by an android.

[grahamf]

if microsoft was to buy out blackberry, that will be the day i throw away all my bb devices pour my self a big tall glass of apple juice and become assimilated. it's bad anoff microsoft is the unholy demon god that still to this day controls most of the computer technology we use. but thank fully this idea will go the way it always has and the zune, it will die and rot.
i really would rather be stalked by steve jobs and become one of millions of mindless sheeple, then walk around with a microsoft device that isn't a laptop.
on a side note there is no way i would by an android.

I think i'd witch to WebOS, depending on if they can make a decent KB.

If Nokia bought Palm then it would've been a match made in heaven, but they didn't.

[Daniel Ratcliffe]

MS buying RIM = me going to the Desire Z.

[Jermoe]

microsoft buying rim means bye bye blackberry hello first ever landline phone never had one of those lol

[jinxednuance]

Some editor at India Times had recently learned what acquisition is all about and thought to him/herself "hmmm, let's do RIM and Microsoft, they look nice".

That is a horrible website.

[drethos]

I think i'd witch to WebOS, depending on if they can make a decent KB.

If Nokia bought Palm then it would've been a match made in heaven, but they didn't.

good thing you mentioned nokia the top link bar that brings you to such sites as androidcentral, crackberry, and tipb i think one of the links is missing. wasn't there a nokia link? or am i going insane, i swear i remember seeing something like that up there. I mean if their website did fall off the face of the earth i am not going to shed a tear.
any who i wouldn't give webos even a consideration. i just took a look at their phones, wow they look bad after looking at a working one in at&t. they almost look and feel like a downgrade to blackberry. I know they have games but seriously who even designs the physical phone needs help. It reminds me of a voltswagon bug.
I still stand behind my apple juice drinking if it came down to it. i would even be willing to make a scene in a apple store telling the geniuses to take away my individuality and my humanity, throw my wallet at them and say im ready take my brain out of my head and put me in one of the hollow shells that is many of the iphone users IN MY AREA! If this were to happen in the fictional world most annalists live in i know apple has won. The absolutely only thing i hate more than apple is microsoft, but despite that i still have a windows laptop for now.

[rollingrock1988]

I think i'd witch to WebOS, depending on if they can make a decent KB.

If Nokia bought Palm then it would've been a match made in heaven, but they didn't.

I agree. Nokia ****ed that one up.

But I will switch to webOS if that happens. Hopefully Palm will get a boost with these new devices and we'll see something exciting come out of it.

[drethos]

microsoft buying rim means bye bye blackberry hello first ever landline phone never had one of those lol

Make sure you get the corded one so you can strangle someone with it if you have/want to. thats the only reason i keep one around its a great multi use weapon plus walmart still sells them very cheap.

[CGI]

I don't know if Microsoft buys them, but RIM is hurting.

OS6 isn't any better than previous. Seriously, it's nothing more than a slightly more polished GUI. With OS7 I'm expecting the same.

The browser is still horrific.

App developers have to deal with major device OS fragmentation. (BB apps laughable compared to Apple and Android)

The playbook, while a nice idea, isn't something to choose over better tablets out there.

I don't see RIM pulling themselves out of this slide without something radical like a Microsoft purchase. Or better yet, ditch their OS and develop a secure push solution to run on Android.

It's just a matter of time and they'll have to do something.

[dooodads]

RIM is hurting but they are far from needing to be bought out. They have lots of leg room to get out of the ditch. Also Microsoft buying them seems far-fetched as well. They have already bet the farm on windows phone 7.

RIM has the tools they just need the vision and Microsoft is definitely not the company to supply it.

[leftypepper716]

RIM isn't near being bought out by any company...yet. This year really will be a sign of RIM overcoming sitting on their 2006-2008 laurels and waking up and getting back into the game...next year and QNX won't matter if RIM isn't able to bridge there without the new devices and sucess of 7" and then later 10" Playbooks...the Bold 9900/9930 really does have to be out soon if RIM has any future

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[tmelon]

It could always happen. Anything is possible. But it would be a bit odd and yeah, the Canadian government would probably frown on it.

[Jake-44]

I don't know if Microsoft buys them, but RIM is hurting.

OS6 isn't any better than previous. Seriously, it's nothing more than a slightly more polished GUI. With OS7 I'm expecting the same.

The browser is still horrific.

App developers have to deal with major device OS fragmentation. (BB apps laughable compared to Apple and Android)

The playbook, while a nice idea, isn't something to choose over better tablets out there.

I don't see RIM pulling themselves out of this slide without something radical like a Microsoft purchase. Or better yet, ditch their OS and develop a secure push solution to run on Android.

It's just a matter of time and they'll have to do something.

Very rational thinking on your part, evidently you have not had time to assimilate or drink the BB Koolaid that so many others across the forums seem to savor.

RIM must reminds me of those who try to reinvent the wheel, wasting time trying to be relevant again will not assist RIM in overcoming the competition. It will only place them further behind.

I agree, the Playbook is a great idea - but it reminds me too much of RIMS past performance over the last two years. The mantra at RIM appears to be "This WILL be a great product, just wait till we catch up and bring out all our updates."

Too little too late RIM.

[grahamf]

Very rational thinking on your part, evidently you have not had time to assimilate or drink the BB Koolaid that so many others across the forums seem to savor.

RIM must reminds me of those who try to reinvent the wheel, wasting time trying to be relevant again will not assist RIM in overcoming the competition. It will only place them further behind.

I agree, the Playbook is a great idea - but it reminds me too much of RIMS past performance over the last two years. The mantra at RIM appears to be "This WILL be a great product, just wait till we catch up and bring out all our updates."

Too little too late RIM.

Soo... like LTE vs WiMAX?

[s.ben]

It’s hard to ignore the many similarities between RIM of today and Palm of just a few years ago. It’s also sad to see this happening again right in front of our eyes but RIM has no one to fault but themselves for their current trajectory.

IMO the 9900/9930 is not only overdue but an essential step in their attempt to remain a viable mobile solution in the not so distant future. Presently, RIM doesn’t need Microsoft, they simply need to produce products that can compete in the current environment. I think they’re starting to get it, just hope it’s not too late.

[grahamf]

It�s hard to ignore the many similarities between RIM of today and Palm of just a few years ago. It�s also sad to see this happening again right in front of our eyes but RIM has no one to fault but themselves for their current trajectory.

IMO the 9900/9930 is not only overdue but an essential step in their attempt to remain a viable mobile solution in the not so distant future. Presently, RIM doesn�t need Microsoft, they simply need to produce products that can compete in the current environment. I think they�re starting to get it, just hope it�s not too late.

The main difference between RIM and Palm is that RIM's hardware is decent.

[sf49ers]

Going by the simple match of the PE ratio, RIM will not be going any where less than $40 billion at-least. More over I don't think MSFT can risk hostile takeover because RIM has a consumer focus and that might not go well with the faithful, and if it has to go through the legal means it has to pay what RIM deserves and also seek approval from Canadian Gov which seem doubtful.

[bmservice]

I don't think so, it's hard to believe that company like RIM will hand their desiition right to MS

[BaconMunch]

So it looks like analysts caught wind that Microsoft has money in bags, they are going to announce the acquisition of Skype.

With all the acquisitions within the last year or two, I wonder what these companies are up too, beefing up their portfolio for what purpose...to compete with the Google, Apple's of the world?

[valorian]

I just finished watching this video.

"Most hated stock on the market", ouch.. that hurt to listen to.

Microsoft or Cisco Should Buy RIM: Trader - Yahoo! Finance

[papped]

Eh, anyone who thinks Cisco is in a position to go into a high risk venture like this (ESPECIALLY so heavily driven by the consumer market, which Cisco completely sucks at) I would take their opinion with a grain of salt...

[valorian]

Eh, anyone who thinks Cisco is in a position to go into a high risk venture like this (ESPECIALLY so heavily driven by the consumer market, which Cisco completely sucks at) I would take their opinion with a grain of salt...

Oh I agree with you 1000% there.