∞ RIM's Blackpad is doomed against the iPad

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We all know the market follows whatever Apple does with its products. News of RIM’s commitment to an iPad competitor called the Blackpad is just further proof of that, and proof that it will fail at setting the tone for the market.

If I was going to give anyone a chance to give Apple some real competition in the iPad space, I would have chosen RIM. It has a strong, loyal customer base and it is known for its security. Take that and go with it.

Instead, it seems RIM is going to follow as close to Apple as it can in hopes of picking up whatever scraps it can from the iPad market. Forget about the product, RIM even copied the name of the iPad, giving Apple a huge advantage even before RIM gets out of the gate.

Great news for Apple, and I suppose, great for RIM too if they’ve already conceded the lead to Apple and are fighting for second place.

Apple is an innovator in the mobile space and it appears to be one of the only companies that is innovating these days. Everyone else is trying to get to where Apple is today. That is the fundamental mistake.

Nobody else seems to have the vision to say “this is where we see the market being in three years,” and going to that spot. Rather, they seem to be saying, “we need to catch Apple and this is what they have.”

The problem with that strategy is that the current iPad is already obsolete. Part of Apple is focused on the next iPad, while another part is focused on the one after that.

Trying to get to where Apple is puts you at least two years behind where they are going. If your goal is to get what Apple has, you’ve already lost.

There are those that believe that this strategy adds competition to the market — it doesn’t. It gives Apple more mindshare and only encourages further comparisons to the market-leading iPad. That is not something most competitors will want, but will inevitability happen.

Apple is appealing to young and old alike. The iPod, iPhone, iTunes, App Store and iPad are devices that people growing up with and using to enhance their lifestyle. That’s not something they will give up for a company that wants to copy Apple.


  • Lucas

    I agree that the Blackpad, the Slate etc are likely to fail and for one reason. Timing. many of them haven’t said even a month of release yet. People don’t like to wait. Even the BP is saying November by which time the schools and students will have grabbed their ipads for textbooks etc. Stanford Med, as an example, is piloting a program to give incoming students ipads for all their former paper stuff. Other schools are following. Only the diehard “I hate all things Apple because it is Apple” folks will wait. the other 95% of folks will play once or twice and then buy (if they haven’t already)

    And RIM used to be the king of company stuff cause of their Exchange support and security but according to reports iOS has got that totally covered. So there goes that side as well. No reason to wait.

  • Eric

    What is amazing is that company after company makes the exact same mistake over and over again, becuase they hold onto the notion that Apple lost the PC war more than 20 years ago.

    It’s just too easy to beat people who think that is competition. It’s like the story about the two people who encounter a bear in the woods. The one says to the other, “We’re done for, bears can outrun people.” And the other responds, “I don’t have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun you.”

    Apple doesn’t have to work that hard to outrun competition like this. Too bad.

  • IcyFog

    This article is spot on and absolutely correct.

  • Corey

    However, no one knows what the Blackberry tablet will feature. The only thing that has been reported is a front and rear facing camera. Blackpad may not even be the name. Blackberry owns thousands of domain names and could have chosen the name long ago. How can you mock something you know nothing about. The only thing that we have heard about are things that put ipad to shame. I was an iphone user until i upgraded to iphone 4 and it didn’t make calls. Now i am with Android. But, the point is that even though you have already chosen a device and your scared you may have jumped in to soon doesn’t mean you should not have an open mind, at least until we no more about the product. I personally think the Palmpad has a better chance at beating Apple because of HP’s deep pockets. But then again i know nothing about the product.

  • http://www.BlackPadBerry.com BlackPad

    I’m going to with bad name here. I can’t get over associating the name with something like it being the secret hideout of the superhero in some cheesy blacksplotation film from the 70s.

  • http://www.wheels.net Rims

    yes
    i like it RIM’s Blackpad is doomed against the iPad