BlackBerry claims Playbook is more powerful than iPad
BLACKBERRY maker Research in Motion (RIM) yesterday fired a warning shot to Apple when it released a video claiming to show the superiority of its tablet computer.
RIM is set to launch its rival to the all-conquering iPad in the second quarter next year. Named the Playbook, it will attempt to lure users with its ability to run Flash videos, which Apple has blocked.
The video runs through a series of comparison tests with a BlackBerry Playbook and Apple iPad, which demonstrate the speed of the PlayBook Browser, its support for rich Flash content, and the performance of open web standards like HTML 5 on the PlayBook.
On paper the Playbook looks like a possible contender for the iPad’s crown.
Its processor and RAM are both superior, despite its smaller size. This would be good news for users dealing with a lot of video or multi-tasking between apps.
It also appears to have been positioned closer to BlackBerry’s core enterprise market, rather than the consumer-facing iPad, which could reel in large numbers of business-focused users.
However, analysts say the product has come late to a market Apple’s tablet computer has already taken by the scruff of the neck.
In Apple’s fourth fiscal quarter, the second quarter that the iPad has been available, the company sold 4.2m units. Analysts also see Google Android-powered devices becoming increasingly important.