The makers of Blackberry are ready to corner Apple’s market. Research in Motion, RIM, is planning to launch their own version of the tablet pc.
RIM’s product is called the Blackpad. The release is scheduled for November, just in time for the shopping season. According to MobileCrunch, Research In Motion recently purchased the domain name blackpad.com.
Rodman & Renshaw analyst Ashok Kumar says the the dimensions of the Blackpad will be similar to the rival iPad. The device will have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities and connect to the internet through a Blackberry handset.
The Blackpad will feature a rear and front camera for web chat and video conferencing. It is expected to be priced at about the same price of Apple’s iPad, which retails for $499.
William Power from the financial firm of Robert W. Baird thinks RIM faces a challenge because the iPad has been successful. He says, “RIM really has yet to demonstrate that it can roll out touchscreen technology to match the leaders in the space, most noticeably Apple.”
RIM is also conducting a press outing in New York, to unveil the BlackBerry 9800. The latest BlackBerry is a slider phone, with a touchscreen and pull-out keyboard.
RIM isn’t the only company offering competition to Apple’s iPad. There are several companies that are slated to release touch screen tablets, in the near future. Dell is planning on releasing, its own mini tablet, called The Streak. Microsoft is said to be working on a tablet, but has released no deadline as to when it will be available. Motorola, LG and Samsung are to release a tablet with Google’s Android as its operating system. Motorola’s version is scheduled for November, while LG and Samsung are expected to become available sometime later this year.