When you're the one who's first to market with a game-changing device, you announce it as close to ship date as possible.<p>Everyone else announces their me-too products as early as possible to show they're in the game. It's been like that for years now. There are few exceptions.<p>All RIM announced was a roadmap, but it's an interesting one because it includes an entirely new OS and tablet platform that will eventually become the platform for all of their future mobile devices (barring any software engineering disasters). To me, that's a lot more interesting that all these manufactures who rush to market with their 7" Android 2.2 phones and call them "tablets" merely to cash in on the craze.
The iPad was released 3 months after it was announced. The Playbook, just announced, is not scheduled to ship until 2011 sometime. So it's clear that RIM is not at the same production level Apple was when they announced the iPad. This is likely why no one was allowed to play with it (it's not done yet).
It should be noted that they announced it at DevCon. Apart from keeping investors happy, the idea was to let the developers know that such a product is coming and to let them know the tools that they can use to develop for it. Its only slightly different from the WP7 announcement. I believe RIM is releasing (or has released) the SDK. The SDK definitely needed to be announced and provided to developers 5-6 months before product hits shelves so I dont see why other people have a problem with it.
This is the actual URL of the article.<p><a href="http://www.singularityhacker.com/2010/09/blackberry-playbook-doesnt-exist.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.singularityhacker.com/2010/09/blackberry-playbook...</a>
"great artists ship"<p>I was having a hard time grasping the fact that they have three problems to manage (OS-wise): evangelizing BB 6.0 (for torch sales), keeping older versions of BlackBerry OS, and now Declaring that the QNX-based OS is the future.
RIM used to be creative, BlackBerry devices used to be a game-changer - where did all that innovative thinking go? I like Apple products, but hate to see every other company just following what Apple is doing and not coming up with their own WOW concepts. I mean, the future of mobile devices can't be just the tablets, aren't there any other possibilities?<p>Sorry BlackBerry fans, I can't help but feel distasteful of the PlayBook.
The author is wrong. Why so serious? It was nothing more than a tease to excite the platform developers. Proper announcement/demo will happen at an appropriate time.<p>- Attended the keynote + currently working at RIM as an intern
Having played with a Torch... yes, that ad is simulated imagery. Yes, the actual Torch isn't quite as snappy as the ad. But, its almost as snappy as the ad. As in, if you really weren't paying attention, you wouldn't notice. This isn't like the N97 debacle.<p>Granted, Storm sucks. Everyone I know working at RIM admits it. But the Torch is definitely a solid device, with a solid touch interface.<p>I can't speak to the rest. I would like to think that companies showing simulated demos would be truthful in their simulations. In my heart, I really want RIM to be that type of company (their campus is right next to my school). And I think that by and large, they are.<p>That said, there's a long tradition of BlackBerry prototypes being leaked looong before any type of announcement. The Torch (and the clam shell) in some form of the other has been floating around for nearly a year before they were announced.
This story just got picked up by Daring Fireball and ZDNet.<p><a href="http://daringfireball.net/linked/2010/09/30/blackberry-playbook" rel="nofollow">http://daringfireball.net/linked/2010/09/30/blackberry-playb...</a><p><a href="http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/blackberry-playbook-ill-believe-it-when-i-see-it/39868" rel="nofollow">http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/blackberry-playbook-ill-believ...</a>