I was just sitting here watching the BlackBerry PlayBook vs. iPad Web Fidelity comparison video put out by RIM and it got to thinking about what RIM can do to truly spark some interest surrounding the PlayBook once it is released. If it turns out that the PlayBook is as good, or, maybe even a little better than the iPad, will that be enough to make the PlayBook sell well in comparison? I am not so sure…
If just being equal to the iPad isn’t enough to make you buy an PlayBook as compared to an iPad, what could RIM do to sway you towards their device?
Free Tethering to your BlackBerry!!!
In the absence of a Wi-Fi connection, the BlackBerry PlayBook can get access to the internet via a secure Blutooth Connection to your BlackBerry. Carriers generally charge a pretty penny to allow your mobile device to act as a tether to another device and I don’t see why this would be any different for the BlackBerry PlayBook, unless, of course, RIM were to work out some sort of deal where this would not be the case. Such a deal, similar to the one that Palm had with Verizon for Free Wi-Fi Hotspot on the Palm Pre and Palm Pixi could be RIM’s proverbial Ace in the hole when it comes to the BlackBerry PlayBook…
If RIM can pull off free tethering for the PlayBook to BlackBerry devices with the carriers and the PlayBook is as good a device as everyone says that it is is going to be, RIM will sell quite a few of these things…
That’s a interesting concept, but requires folks to buy into both a PlayBook and a BlackBerry. Then again, everyone I know personally that has an iPad also has an iPhone (and most also have some form of iPod), so perhaps it isn’t too far fetched.
Considering Verizon allows free tethering on most recent Android phones, it might work.
No way will a tablet that REQUIRES you to use a Black berry to tether is going to gain the mass appeal of the iPad
Apps, apps, apps are the key to a tablets success. The ipad/iphone/itouch has hundreds of thousands of apps available. Given RIM history with the whole apps thing, I’m doubtful they will be able to compete.
@Brian A, so, you’d rather pay for two plans? One for the iPhone and one for the iPad? You do realize that there are about 60,000,000 BlackBerry users who can buy a Playbook and tether it, right? They are also planning on releasing 3G and 4G versions in the future.
@gquaglia – doubt all you want. The fact is, this is a new OS which is much easier and much more pleasant to develop for. I’ve read of people making pretty decent apps for the Playbook in less than 4 hours. Also, it’s one thing to have 200,000 apps, it’s another thing to have 200,000 useful apps which is not the case with Apple.
@sprat Hey just wondering where you got your info for the 60,000,000 users? we were trying to make an estimate of how many BB users would buy this thing. Problem is number of blackberry phones sold is not the same as the number still in use… so if you could let me know how you got your info that would be great thanks.