14 DAY TRIAL // Canadian handset vendor Research In Motion was set to make its first tablet PC, the BlackBerry PlayBook, available for purchase in late March, but it had to delay the release by a full month, and it seems that Apple's iPad is the actual cause of this, if some of the latest reports on the matter are accurate.
Apparently, RIM had to postpone PlayBook shipments due to shortage in touch panels, of which Apple is said to be the one responsible.
The Cupertino-based giant reportedly placed orders for the most available capacity of touch panels, to use them for the building of new iPad units.
This, complemented by a delay in software testing, resulted in the BlackBerry PlayBook being pushed back, rumor has it.
The tablet PC was set to arrive on the market before the end of March, a recent article on DigiTimes notes, yet RIM would have in on shelves only in late April, as already announced.
However, it seems that the company has finally got production in full swing, with Foxlink delivering its connectors for the PlayBook (the company supplied connectors for the iPad2 as well), and with units being assembled at Quanta Computer.
The mobile device is expected to become available for purchase in Canada and in the United States as of April 19th, featuring a price tag of US$499.99.
The BlackBerry PlayBook was unveiled to the world last year, and early provisions on it suggested that RIM would indeed manage to have it in user's hands before the end of the first quarter of the ongoing year.
Sporting a 7-inch touchscreen display and a dual-core application processor inside, the BlackBerry PlayBook should prove a great device, though newer tablet PCs from rival companies come with larger screens.
However, RIM seems to be confident in PlayBooks ability to lure customers, especially those who are already BlackBerry users. Analysts suggested a few months ago that RIM might be able to sell about 6 million units during the first 12 months of availability of the device.