JohnG Unfiltered!

Research In Motion (RIM) has wisely decided NOT to call it’s tablet the BlackPad after all.

The BlackBerry PlayBook was announced September 24th with much fanfare at a 3 hour press event touting impressive tech specs including Micro USB, Micro HDMI, front and rear-facing cameras.

Availability of the PlayBook was announced as sometime in 2011. As the ad above says, “You’ve never seen BlackBerry like this”. And so far, we still haven’t. There was no working prototype for journalists to play with. We’ll see if it’s actually released or if it’ll go down as a footnote in tech history like the ill-fated Palm Folio.

Tech companies typically don’t release detailed specs (processor, RAM, screen resolution, etc.) to the press so far in advance of the product launch. After all, why tip off your competitors on the gritty details of your future product so many months before?

Could RIM’s true intention be to slow iPad holiday sales with the promise of something bigger and better down the road? Actually, something smaller and better because the PlayBook will have a 7 inch screen versus the iPad’s 9.7 inches. With the iPad selling like hotcakes, competitors scrambling to bring tablets to market will do everything they can to slow the Apple juggernaut. They certainly realize that once consumers have a significant investment in hardware and software, it becomes very difficult to convince them to move to a different platform. Just ask the Apple Computer of the 1990’s after the Mac lost market share to Microsoft Windows.

Rumors abound that Research In Motion (RIM), makers of the Blackberry, will release an iPad competitor dubbed the BlackPad. If true, it would be a serious marketing misstep for RIM. Naming their device the BlackPad would show weakness and concede that Apple is the leader and innovator. In their effort to capture market share, does RIM really want to send a message to consumers that they are not a leader but are following the leader, Apple?

If RIM wants to carve out a significant segment of the tablet market, they are one of the few big players in a position to do so. RIM can leverage its strong customer loyalty and security reputation, especially with business customers, to gain market share.

RIM must innovate quickly though, while they’re still relevant. With iPhone, Android and the soon to be released Windows 7 Mobile capturing most of the attention, RIM is starting to look like an “also ran”. To paraphrase Wayne Gretsky, if RIM skates to where the puck is now rather than to where it will be in the future, they’ve already lost.

In response to the iPad’s success, Amazon announced new, lower priced Kindle ebook readers. A 3G wireless plus WiFi model at US$189 and a Wifi only version at US$139 will be available August 27, 2010.

Taking a design cue from Apple, the new Kindles are much sleeker than the clunky original Kindle. They boast upgraded specs and are presently the best single-purpose ebook readers on the market.

The Kindle’s major advantage as an eReader is the E ink screen which is easy on the eyes and can be read in bright sunlight making it great for lazy days at the beach. It’s also lighter than the iPad at 8.7 oz. vs. 1.5 lbs. and at $139 it’s easier on the wallet it lost, damaged or stolen.

The advantages end there, however. The iPad runs circles around the Kindle in all other respects. It reads all ebook formats, including the Kindle format. It works as large iPod touch, can make Skype calls, and with the plethora of apps available through the iTunes Store, it’s a laptop replacement for many people.

At US$139 the base Kindle is an inexpensive option for anyone interested only in books. But other than that, the iPad is a much better overall value.

The Dev-Team has done it again! Just days after the U.S Copyright Office ruled that jailbreaking mobile devices does not violate federal copyright law, the iPhone Dev-Team, thanks to comex, has released the simplest jailbreak yet for all iPads, iPhones and iPod touches.

Simply visiting www.jailbreakme.com from Safari on your iPad will jailbreak your device with a single click. It doesn’t get easier than that. Jailbreaking will allow you to install software not officially sanctioned by Apple.

Naturally, as everyone rejoices this one-click jailbreak we need to also keep in mind that this is a huge security hole in Apple’s devices. If the Dev-Team can exploit this flaw to install software so can others who may not be as altruistic. Malicious malware hackers are likely furiously working on exploits.

There’s no doubt Apple is working on a fix. In the meantime, enjoy your jailbroken iDevices but proceed with caution!

As the iPad rolls out in more countries today, computer geeks around the world are no doubt feeling threatened.

In the early days of personal computing, computer enthusiasts were seen as nerds and generally shunned by the cool kids. But as computers evolved and the Internet made computers mainstream, suddenly the nerds were in high demand and held power over the average computer user. As Bill Gates became “cool”, so did millions of computer “nerds” who were reinvented as computer “geeks”.

Computer geeks have slowly been losing power for many years. Operating systems like Mac OS X and Windows 7 have made our computers much easier to use than the days of DOS and the command line. It wasn’t that long ago that we needed highly trained technicians to set up a computer network. Today, most of us can go to our local computer store, pick up a $100 router and be networked in minutes.

The iPad has been under constant attack by many in the tech community, sight unseen, since before its release – a sure sign of fear. The iPad with it’s “instant-on” access and simple, intuitive operating system has removed a layer of complexity from computing that makes it easy for toddler to senior alike.

Is the iPad the future of computing? Maybe or maybe not. But just as the iPhone has shaped all smartphones that came after it, the iPad has disrupted the computer industry. The geeks fear our computers turning into simple appliances like our refrigerators and toasters. As the iPad and devices like it become more popular, they’re afraid of becoming the next lonely Maytag repairman.