Rich Fiscus
30 Sep 2011 17:36
RIM has no intention of giving up on the tablet market according to an email from a company spokeswoman.
The PlayBook initially sold well after its release in April. More recently lagging sales have led to RIM rethinking plans for a 4G model and drastically reduced prices.
In an email to Reuters, RIM's Marisa Conway called rumors the PlayBook will be discontinued, "pure fiction." She went on to say, "RIM remains highly committed to the tablet market and the future of QNX in its platform."
The rumors she was referring to started with an analyst's note yesterday claiming RIM had discontinued production on the tablet and cancelled development on additional models.
Of course it's hard to imagine what RIM would stand to gain from getting out of the tablet market. Unlike HP, who gave up on their tablet operation last month, tablets are essentially part of RIM's core business.
If they can't get a foothold in the tablet market, it seems unlikely their smartphone business will keep them afloat for long.
Certainly they haven't managed to do that yet, but it's important to remember the tablet market is still in its infancy. If RIM gives up on it now, it may be time to start entertaining buyout offers.
In that case it's likely their intellectual property, particularly a large number of software patents, would make up most of their value.