CES 2011: Heralding The Year of the Tablet

[Michael Knutson]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.slashgear.com/ces-2011-all-star-tablet-round-up-10125415/' target='_blank'>http://www.slashgear.com/ces-2011-a...nd-up-10125415/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Every CES has its unofficial theme - we've seen netbooks and ereaders flood the booths in previous years - and 2011 was the turn of tablets. As predicted before the show, the rise of the iPad, the imminent release of Android 3.0 Honeycomb and the promise of a new, lucrative segment has worked like catnip to manufacturers large and small. Check out the SlashGear CES 2011 tablet roundup after the cut."</em><span><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/lpt/auto/1294724300.usr17748.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></span></p><p><span>Android? QNX? Choices galore at this year's CES. Not many yet running Android 3.0, but the author's biggest surprise was the RIM PlayBook. He states that it, and maybe not the various Android incarnations, may eventually be the biggest competitor to the iPad. Touch screen, slide-out keyboard, docking keyboard, what's your fancy? Anyone have a prediction as to what (if anything) will ultimately provide true competition for the iPad? I personally think that the PlayBook will be amongst the leaders when it finally sees the light of day - providing that RIM develops the ecosystem needed for success.&nbsp;</span></p>

[whydidnt]

I can't see how the PlayBook will become a true competitor with it's current limitations. Having to tether to a Blackberry for mail or calendar is just a crazy limitation. The PlayBook lacks native calendar and email apps so you will always have to carry a second device AND that device will have to be a Blackberry if you want access to your calendar or email on this device (other than web based services, which have their own limitations). Everything I hear is that Blackberry market share continues to shrink. So they are targeting this slick new device to an ever shrinking market. Not exactly the way to gain huge market share.

The hardware and OS both seem slick, but I don't think we will see a lot of third party app support, and that will also keep this from becoming a true competitor to the iPad.

[Craig Horlacher]

Unfortunatly I think lack of support will kill the Playbook. There is just not enough developer backing for it (anything Bb) compared to Android or iOS devices.

After seeing video's of Android Honeycomb though I'm not thinking anyone will miss it. I love what I see in the Honeycomb interface and current Android OS more than what I've seen in anything from Bb or Apple.

We just got new Bb's at work. They upgraded us from the Curve to the Bold. The screen is higher resolution but it's still low resolution and small. I think the keyboard on the curve was better too. Maybe it just takes getting used to but I know that just typing my password I have a lot more failiures on the bold than I did on the curve. I think Bb is just too far behind and they're grasping at straws. The Torch looks ok to me but if our company decided not to go with it I think that's a pretty bad sign for Bb.