Balsillie on the iPhone in February 2007 from BusinessInsider: “It’s kind of one more entrant into an already very busy space with lots of choice for consumers … But in terms of a sort of a sea-change for BlackBerry, I … Continued
RIM
∞ BlackBerry Messenger outage hits Canada, Latin America
Electronista: BlackBerry owners on Friday were dealt more unfortunate news Friday after many reported losing access to Internet services. Both BlackBerry Messenger and e-mail faced outages, primarily in Canada and Latin American countries. RIM was “investigating” as of Friday afternoon but didn’t have a … Continued
∞ PlayBook price cuts coming
BGR: During RIM’s second-quarter earnings call, Co-CEO Jim Balsillie noted that the company plans to offer price cuts on the not-so-popular BlackBerry PlayBook in the form of rebates, and an incentive program for enterprise sales. He also said there’s a … Continued
∞ The decline of BlackBerry ASP
Note: This is a guest post by Matt Richman. You can learn more about Matt on his Web site. RIM just reported earnings (PDF) for its second fiscal quarter of 2012. Seventy-three percent of its $4.2 billion in revenue came … Continued
∞ Apple's iPad beat RIM PlayBook sales in two days
It took RIM a full quarter (let’s say 90 days) to ship (not sell) 200,000 PlayBooks. In its last quarter, Apple sold 9.25 million iPads, or approximately 102,000 per day. In two days of sales the iPad beat the PlayBook. … Continued
∞ RIM only ships 200,000 PlayBooks in Q2
The numbers are in and they don’t look good for RIM. The company reported shipping approximately 10.6 million BlackBerry smartphones and approximately 200,000 BlackBerry PlayBook tablets. Keep in mind, those numbers are shipped, not sold. By using the shipped number, … Continued
∞ Analyst: RIM's PlayBook headed to the scrap heap
Wedge Partners analyst Brian Blair at BGR: On the PlayBook tablet, Blair’s opinion is even more dour. “Last quarter RIM talked about shipping 500,000 units but did not speak of sell-through for obvious reasons,” the analyst wrote in a note … Continued
∞ New QNX BlackBerry has no email or calendar
Gizmodo: BlackBerry sales have been in the toilet, so RIM has been scrambling to get their much-anticipated first QNX-based phones to market. Very smart. But they may be pushing them out without BES/BIS email/calendar calendar support. That would be unfathomably … Continued
∞ LeapFrog releases a PlayBook competitor
RIM fans were quite upset when I compared the PlayBook tablet to the iPad. In fairness, it wasn’t a good comparison because the iPad is so much better. They were also upset when I compared the PlayBook to the legendary … Continued
∞ RIM shareholders want company put up for sale
Noting its poor stock performance, lack of innovation and loss of market share, Jaguar Financial is leading the charge to have something done at RIM. In a statement on Tuesday, Jaguar Chairman and CEO Vic Alboini called on RIM’s Directors … Continued
∞ BlackBerry Storm destroyed with a hammer
Much respect to Matt’s anger at all things stupid!
∞ Cool things to expect from RIM: Native email on PlayBook
BlackBerry Cool: With summer ending, we’re expecting a few announcements from RIM just around the corner. End of summer also means we’re closer to the holiday season where RIM and all the major tech companies scramble to get a killer … Continued
∞ RIM's music service: $5 per month for 50 songs
AppleInsider: BBM Music will arrive as a beta in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. in early September, before launching in the three regions later this fall. Subscribers won’t be able to export the music to PCs, but they will … Continued
∞ RIM starting a new streaming music service
Reuters: BlackBerry maker Research In Motion is close to rolling out its own music streaming service that will work across its mobile devices, according to four people familiar with the plans. RIM is in late-stage negotiations with major labels, including … Continued
∞ Wait… RIM's PlayBook sucks ass, but it's HP that cancels its tablet
What kind of perverse, unforgiving parallel universe did I wake up in that allowed the PlayBook to still be on the market, and HP’s TouchPad has been discontinued.
∞ Sprint says no to the PlayBook
Greg Bensinger at WSJ.com: The decision means the device hasn’t yet found any support from the three largest U.S. wireless carriers, which includes AT&T and Verizon Wireless. Without their backing, RIM will have to bear the burden of sales and … Continued
∞ Graphic: How Apple changed phone design, except with RIM
My good friend Matthew Panzarino at TNW sent this to me today. Pretty much sums up what I’ve been trying to say. Apple innovated; everyone else followed; RIM stayed the same.
∞ Seven years of BlackBerry: This is why RIM is in trouble
Take a look at these photos. The 8700c was released in 2004 (I have one of these) and the 9900 was released this week. RIM had seven years to change the design or do something, but they look pretty much … Continued
∞ RIM customers try to save the PlayBook
A forum user at CrackBerry.com made a suggestion to fellow PlayBook owners to help save the device.
∞ RIM's management changes akin to moving deck chairs on the Titanic
RIM on Monday provided details on management changes and what it calls its “cost optimization program.” In other words, it is shuffling things around to make it look like they have a handle on things. They don’t.
∞ RIM slashes 2,000 jobs
The hammer fell today at RIM as the company tries to bring costs in line with its falling sales.
∞ Dear RIM: it's you, not us
RIM investors must be holding their face in their hands this morning after reading how well Apple did in its latest fiscal quarter. While RIM bombed its most recent quarter, Apple blew away all expectations.
∞ PlayBook product manager leaves for Samsung
CrackBerry.com Wow. Another RIM employee has left for Samsung. Just a month after Brian Wallace, the VP of Digital Marketing and Media for RIM, left for Samsung, another well-known RIM employee is packing up and leaving Waterloo for Dallas, Texas. … Continued
∞ RIM responds to rumors it may stop PlayBook production
RIM has officially responded to news that it may stop production of its PlayBook tablet.
∞ RIM may stop production of the PlayBook
RIM may be throwing in the towel on its PlayBook tablet, according to a note from one analyst on Monday.
∞ RIM Expose: Behind the scenes look at the paranoid leader
“Mike Lazaridis couldn’t imagine that consumers would be spending hours watching and streaming video to their devices, he couldn’t understand it,” the former exec continued. This is why we don’t see RIM excelling in spaces like camera technology, or displays … Continued
∞ RIM's shareholder ultimatum to co-CEOs has no teeth
RIM’s co-CEOs narrowly missed facing a forced shareholder vote on whether they should keep their co-Chairman titles at the company’s annual meeting. However, when you think about it, the proposal really has no teeth anyway.
∞ I have no sympathy for RIM shareholders now
After a pitiful year full of mismanagement, failed product launches and a falling stock price, I was sure that RIM shareholders would hold those responsible accountable. Apparently not.
∞ More RIM employees come forward with complaints
Just 24 hours after an unnamed executive pleaded with RIM to make changes, more employees have come forward rallying around the complaints and offering new ones.
∞ RIM responds to employees open letter
RIM has responded to an open letter from one of its high level executives published earlier today on BGR.