Research in Motion executives occur out in force Thursday eve in New York , toy legion at the industry launching of the PlayBook pad in an attempt to convince market watchers and possible users that the twist is a serious rival in an sports stadium dominated by Apple ’s iPad .
The event was a company , rather than a traditional declaration , with a DJ spin songs and legal profession and tables lay up for cocktails . fellowship official mingled and happy - handed with the crowd rather than accept to the podium with displace speech .
But the PlayBook , due to go on sale April 19 , face an uphill conflict , even though some former reviews have praised the user interface , based on software acquired when RIM bought QNX , a maker of operating system of rules for mobile devices .
The lozenge sports a 1GHz dual - core C.P.U. , two gamey - resolution cameras — one in front and one in back — and micro - HDMI production . It ’s price at $ 500 for a version with 16 G byte of storage , $ 600 for a 32G - byte edition , and $ 700 for 64G - byte model .
On the software side , many early reviewers have citeda litany of shortcomings , the most crying of which may be a lack of a build up - in eastward - mail curriculum — the principal feature article that draws professionals to the company ’s iconic BlackBerry smartphone . To do due east - mail on the machine , users have to establish a WiFi connectedness to the cyberspace and use a browser app - based app like Gmail , or base a Bluetooth link to a BlackBerry via a feature call Bridge . Via the Bridge function , users have admittance to all their BlackBerry apps .
The equipment weighs just under a lbf. and has a 7 - in cover , rough half the area of an iPad screen . That , however , is one of the main merchandising points for Co - CEO Mike Lazaridis .
“ I just know its form broker , ” Lazaridis said on the sidelines of the event . “ It ’s so lite I can put it in my pocket … . it ’s just the correct size for me . ”
In a nod to the QNX - based operating organisation , Lazaridis emphasized the touch - screen interface ’s power to allow users to swimmingly move from one open app to another . “ The way this thing multitasks , it ’s like one step onward — I can do thing as tight as I can conceive , ” Lazaridis said .
But the PlayBook lacks what many users would consider basic features such as a build up - in calendar , reach database , and claver software . When the gimmick lead on cut-rate sale , there will be about 3,000 third - party apps uncommitted , compared to the 65,000 on the App Store for the iPad .
“ The PlayBook is a race railroad car that ’s lose a roulette wheel , ” said Sarah Rotman Epps , an analyst with Forrester Research . “ This is a very , very powerful platform , a very , very muscular gimmick and it ’s a good proof point for the future of RIM … but it ’s missing some key components for consumers . It ’s missing a aboriginal e - mail client and Forrester ’s datum shows that the number one things consumers do on tablets is due east - ring armour , ” said Epps , who attended the launch party .
reinforcement for Flash may even things out a bit with the iPad , she tot .
“ Forrester ’s data shows that 23 pct of consumer turn over bribe a tablet say that the number of apps is in their top three criterion for buying a tablet , 19 percent say that Flash musical accompaniment is ( important)—so the PlayBook loses to the iPad in the app battle , win in the Flash fight , ” Epps say .
The tab market is rise , and should reach the level where there will be elbow room for multiple vendors to be successful , psychoanalyst point .
“ The tablets food market , the pad market , is going to be a huge market that will allow for a fortune of players , ” said Bart van der Horst , a managing director at Canalys , at the PlayBook launch event . “ Apple of course is a crowing thespian in the marketplace but you ’ll see Samsung , Microsoft as well as RIM doing good business enterprise . ”
Some CIOs meanwhile , are taking a wait - and - see attitude , even though the BlackBerry has been a bodied staple . “ The panel ’s still out , ” said Gregg Davis , CIO for Webcor Builders , prior to RIM ’s launching event . Over half the roving earpiece in his organization are BlackBerry devices .
One of the large problems he has with the PlayBook is that user will have to tether it to their BlackBerry to use applications like vitamin E - mail . “ That ’s something I opine is a immense disadvantage , ” he said . “ If you ’re in a hotel and you get out your cellular telephone phone on a higher floor and go to the lobby and want to habituate the tablet , you have to go back upstairs and get the phone . ”
extra reporting by Nancy Gohring in Seattle .
