RIM vs. Apple 2.0

The war between Apple and Research in Motion is heating up as rumours on a new tablet device from RIM is expected to be announced some time tomorrow.

RIM, maker of the Blackberry hand held device, recently purchased the domain name "blackpad.com." The move triggered speculations that RIM plans to name the device the Blackpad or at least has some major interest in the name. It is believed to have been purchased for about $1,500.

RIM's move to enter the tablet device and take major market share from Apple and Amazon will be tough. Based on the information available, many do not expect RIM to penetrate with profitability. It is believed that the Blackpad, to be released in November, will be used as an add-on to Blackberrys (or is it Blackberries) and will not function as a stand-alone device. This limited versatility could prove to be the downfall of the Blackpad because it will be unable to maximize its market.

The name Blackpad, if true, is also being remarked as a terrible name. By using the suffix -pad, it will surely promote the iPad even more so if RIM's device fails in popularity. Many are asking RIM to change it to Padberry or even Blueberry or Raspberry. It seems like loyal BB users prefer the berry aspect of the name, not the black.

Research in Motion has continued to grow quarter after quarter, but that has not improved their share value. The stock is down nearly 60 per cent from its all-time high, reached in the spring of 2008. Meanwhile, its archenemy Apple is trading near its all-time highs. It is clearly a tale of two companies going in opposite directions.

Other notes
Research in Motion still dominates the smartphone market, holding a 33 per cent market share in the United States and is ranked 3rd worldwide. Apple iPhones dropped to number 3 in the US today. Google Android phones have surged to second place and is on pace to sell more phones in one year than the total number of iPhones ever.