Remember the good old days when companies would announce a product and then actually ship something? RIM doesn’t. They seem to think it’s okay to just keep announcing vaporware and not ship anything.
[ad#Google Adsense 300×250 in story]In September 2010 RIM announced the PlayBook, an iPad competitor running the BlackBerry OS. That hasn’t shipped yet.
In January 2011 RIM announced the PlayBook 4G, upping the ante on its competition by including the next generation data connection. That hasn’t shipped yet.
In February 2011, RIM outdid itself and announced the PlayBook 4G LTE, HSPA+ and Mobile WiMAX models. They haven’t shipped.
That’s three generations of PlayBook tablets announced in five months and we still haven’t seen a single product make it to market. The media seems enamored with the PlayBook and don’t ask the obvious question — where are the products?
So, I will say what most people are thinking at this point. RIM, SHUT UP AND SHIP!
There must be a wacky bunch of people in RIM headquarters that come up with these plans to keep announcing products. It’s almost like they know they are so far behind Apple that they are trying to pre-announce every available technology before Apple gets to it.
A bold, but stupid move. Instead of looking like they are on top of things, RIM is looking more desperate with each PlayBook announcement. Of course customers want to know you are planning future products, but they want to know you can fulfill the plans you already made too.
At times, RIM seems almost delusional in the things it says about the tablet market — a market it isn’t even a part of yet.
In a call with analysts in December RIM CEO Jim Balsillie said, “So, I think the PlayBook clearly sets the bar WAY higher on performance, and you’re going to see more.”
See more? We haven’t seen anything yet.
He also said, “I think the PlayBook redefines what a tablet should do.”
Really, Jim? You had no idea what a tablet was until the iPad was released and now you’re an expert on redefining an entire market.
RIM should just be ignored until it proves it can do more than announce vaporware.