14 DAY TRIAL // Canadian mobile phone maker Research In Motion has had great hopes for its first tablet PC in the world, the BlackBerry PlayBook, though it seems that the device did not perform as great as expected.
This is not the first time this is being stated, and might not be the last either, though the handset vendor is working on ways to address the situation.
And with the holiday season upon us, what a better way to spur sales that including the tablet PC in a special promotion.
In partnership with various retailers out there, RIM has made the PlayBook available for only $199 (around 150 Euros) for a limited period of time.
The deal is available for all users who live in the United States and Canada, the company announced via a recent tweet.
“The #BlackBerry #PlayBook is at select #US & #Canadian retailers starting at $199. Limited time,” the message reads.
Moreover, the handset vendor links to a special page it put up on its website to rise awareness on the new promotion.
Users who will head over there will read the following: “Get a BlackBerry PlayBook starting at $199 at participating retailers for a limited time.”
Best Buy, BlackBerry from Wireless Giant store, Radio Shack, Staples, Office Depot, Office Max and Office Max are included in the list of partner retailers who participate in this promotion.
Clearly, RIM is trying to make the device a bit more appealing that it might have already been.
Launched in September last year, the PlayBook arrived on shelves only in spring 2011, which hurt sales a lot, considering that larger and more powerful such devices were already available on shelves at that time.
Initial predictions placed sales of the PlayBook somewhere in the 6 million units range for the first year of availability, but the actual market performance falls far shorter than that.