Jared Newman over at PCWorld has posted a piece titled “4 Ways a RIM Tablet Could Smoke the iPad, Galaxy Tab.”
Obviously, a loaded headline. Let’s take a look at this:
1. Blackberry Messenger
One feature that both the iPad and the Galaxy Tab lack is a quick and simple way to communicate with others. Messenger could be a cornerstone of the BlackPad, allowing people to stay in touch with Blackberry phone users. Businesses who use Blackberry would love it.
True — people who use Blackberrys get to use this app. I know people who love it, but I don’t miss having something like that on my iPad or Droid.
2. Cool Software
RIM should use this as an opportunity to bundle some really great software with the device, and not just the standard e-book reader, calendar and maps that the iPad and Galaxy Tab include.
While Apple’s built-in apps only cover the basics, the App Store offers thousands and thousands of apps to choose from. The same thing goes for Android. RIM may have to bundle more apps because they don’t have any developers to create the variety they need.
I’d really like to see an advanced notetaking app that brings together text, images, video and audio and syncs them to the cloud.
As much as I hate it, Evernote can do most, if not all, of this. I for one, don’t want all my junk on RIM’s cloud.
3. Cheapness
Pardon the obvious point, but all signs point to an expensive Galaxy Tab. And while the iPad seems reasonable at $500, the price hits $700 if you want the most possible storage, and $829 if you want 3G coverage.
I’ll give him this — the iPad is pricey, but this is just a rehash of the “Macs are more expensive” discussion. You get what you pay for. A cheap tablet will look, feel and perform like a cheap tablet.
4. A Kickstand — No, Seriously
Is it really too much to ask that tablet makers include a built-in, simple way to prop the device upright? Sure, you can buy external stands for the iPad, but then you’ve got to carry them around, marring the device’s portability. Apple also sells the iPad sleeve that becomes a stand, but it’s a floppy, sloppy mess.
While I don’t use a case on any phone, I do on my iPad. Most iPads I see have cases on them. Having an integrated kickstand would be rendered useless by most cases anyways.
And yes, the Apple case isn’t great, but there are hundreds of other options out there that are.
Conclusion
Will RIM smoke the iPad? No. Will it smoke the Galaxy Tab? Probably not. While it may be a hit in the business world — and that’s a big maybe — I don’t see it going mainstream.
The iPhone marginalized RIM in many markets, and I don’t think a tablet can change that.