How does the BlackBerry tablet stack up?

The following is a guest post from Shane at TC Geeks, no relation, a site about tablet computers. RIM’s Blackpad is almost anything but certain at this point.  The news of the Blackpad has literally flooded the wires ever since Digitimes officially reported that Quanta will be making the tablet.  I get asked at least a few times a day about the Blackpad and so I decided to go on a little internet digging and see just what RIM is up against when their tablet does arrive.  I am excited to see RIM enter this market and if they can pull this off well enough then there is one specific sector I can think of that will really benefit: The Enterprise.  And it may also move RIM further into the consumer market at the same time.  That’s a clear win-win.  But on the heels of the Blackpad are rumors (some true, some not) of other companies trying to get into the tablet game; mostly due to the success of the iPad.  Let’s take a look at some of the true competitors and see what the Blackpad is up against. A lot of people might ask why RIM is releasing a tablet.  It’s the numbers.  The tablet computer market is just about to grow by leaps and bounds.  Several trusted analyst firms were asked recently about the potential of the tablet market and they all agreed that in 2011 alone, more than 25 million units could be sold.  The iPad, which is the only current mainstream tablet on sale (discounting the Dell Streak which is really just a smartphone), has already sold well over 4 million units.  And according to ZDNet, tablets could outsell netbooks by 2012.  So the Blackpad is coming at the perfect time. Another question being asked is if RIM will release the Blackpad with the popular Android operating system or its own proprietary BBOS (6.0).  I would be surprised if they went with the Android option since they already have a viable operating system and have just released the newest version which is getting great reviews.  However, there are many that believe the Blackpad should use Android since it lends itself very well to that mobile market and it would be that much stronger of a competitor to the iPad.  (Ed. note: It looks like RIM will use neither Android nor its own OS in the upcoming tablet.) The one area RIM will need to ramp up on is the applications. Tablets are sparse when it comes to hardware and it is the “apps” that really drive these devices.  When the iPad was released Apple had to have its own dedicated app store just for the iPad apps because people quickly realized the potential with the bigger screen size and touchscreen interaction.  The apps for Blackberry phones and iPhones are smaller and are developed for the smaller screens, etc. There are currently 32 tablets rumored to be in development.  I won’t be listing them all as most of them are complete speculation.  Instead, I look at a few of the most likely contenders to the Blackpad.  But first, let’s look at the Blackpad specs to set our standard by. RIM Blackpad Availability:  November, 2010
Screen Size:  9.7-inch
Operating System: Blackberry OS 6 (?)
Resolution:  Above 800 x 480
Memory: 256 or 512
Storage: 4GB Upgradable
Camera:  16 Megapixel
Pricing:  $499 The specs for the Blackpad are inline with that of the iPad.  The advantage of course is the camera which the current iPad does not have.  Also, the storage being “upgradable” is interesting.  I hope that the resolution is above 800 x 480 and almost certainly it will be unless RIM is targeting a market of Enterprise users that care more about business uses than photos and games. Apple iPad Availability:  Now
Screen Size:  9.7-inch
Operating System: iOS 3.2.2
Resolution:  1024 x 768
Memory: 256
Storage: 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB
Camera:  None
Pricing $499 – $829 The iPad is out, it’s selling very well and there is a new iOS update coming soon with the second version of the iPad already being discussed for early 2011. ASUS EeePad Availability:  March 2011
Screen Size:  10-inch
Operating System: Android
Resolution:  1024 x 768
Memory: 512
Storage: 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB
Camera:  3 Megapixel
Pricing: $399 – $499 ASUS could come in with a very strong contender.  They will most likely target the consumer market and it would not be unlike them to have a few different sizes.  This device will compete more head-to-head with the iPad as a consumer-driven multimedia device. Cisco Cius Availability: Q1 2011
Screen Size: 7-inch
Operating System: Android
Resolution:  1024 x 600
Storage: 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB
Camera:  720p video and 2 Megapixel stills Cisco has a way of getting into just about every market, but their core is the Enterprise.  This is probably going to be the strongest competitor to the Blackpad.  They plan to have this device do full videoconferencing and turn into an IP phone when docked.  The one area RIM would win here is price.  Cisco tends to be double the price of everyone else. HP WebOS Tablet (PalmPad) Availability: Early 2011
Screen Size: 7-Inch
Operating System: WebOS Originally planned with Windows 7, the HP tablet will be interesting to watch.  It is now going to be running WebOS from their Palm purchase and since HP plays in both the Enterprise and consumer market it will be hard to tell where this one will fall. One advantage RIM has right away is their Application store.  WebOS does not have very many apps or developer interest (currently).
So thats the Blackpad vs everyone else.  I am very hopeful to see RIM succeed here because it would really position them for a market set to grow by double-digit percentages.  Tablets aren’t going away, rather, they are just going to get more innovative and if there is one company that understands this, it’s RIM.  I suspect we will see announcements from them soon regarding the release of the Blackpad.
Will you be getting a Blackpad?  If you own an iPad would you consider a Blackpad or will you wait to see what happens?

About the Author

Joe Pawlikowski is the Senior Editor at MobileMoo.com and has been covering the mobile industry full time since 2007. When he's not writing about the tech scene, he can be found discussing his personal love - baseball (and more specifically the New York Yankees) as well as writing on his personal blog.