Topic: RIM to unveil "BlackPad" tablet next week

[Simon]

Research In Motion may use a developers' conference next week to announce plans for a tablet computer.

BlackBerry maker RIM has been widely expected to join the tablet market this year with a product dubbed BlackPad. RIM recently claimed the www.blackpad.com domain name (which is currently just a blank site), fuelling the speculation.

Read more: http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/361345/rim-to-unveil-blackpad-tablet-next-week

[sam]

sweet, the Canadians will go crazy for it

[Rik]

You mean it's maple syrup flavoured? 

[sam]

argh

[Rik]

 

[Simon]

It'll be interesting to see how it compares to the iPad. 

[Rik]

It'll be missing an Apple logo for a start...

[Simon]

[Rik]

Damn, my turn to be caught in the smileys.

[Simon]

[Rik]

We ought to standardise.

[sam]

some speculation here: http://www.pcworld.com/article/202392/rims_blackpad_tablet_why_itll_succeed_why_it_wont.html

Though I think the cons section is hilarious:

Cons

Uncertain market: The iPad is primarily an entertainment device for consumers. It won't print (at least not without some third-party help), won't run Flash, and it really isn't built for business use. It remains unclear how business users will take to tablets.

why are they stating such obvious flaws with the iPad and suggesting that all tablets will have these problems, that's a bit of a stupid stretch really.

[Simon]

To be honest, I think these are neither one thing or another.  They're too small for a laptop, and too big for a phone.

[sam]

I can see them being very useful for taking notes. If the iPad has something to accurately write with then I'd probably have one. Tablets like this could take over the student market for example. For myself the ability to read journals and write all over peoples work / plots would be really cool and useful. Save me carrying so much paper around / I don't want to pull a laptop out on a plane / train.

[Simon]

Yeah, I can see it would have it's uses for that sort of thing.