Pros
Huge market share: Since BlackBerry rules the business world, RIM is in an excellent position to parlay its smartphone success into strong tablet sales in the enterprise market.
Best business tools: RIM's new Enterprise Server 5 software has some of the best mobile management tools in the industry, including the ability to separate business and personal content on a BlackBerry phone. For instance, an IT administrator can remove corporate data from an employee-owned BlackBerry without touching the worker's personal information and apps. Those features could prove appealing on a RIM tablet too.
Cons
Uncertain market: The iPad is primarily an entertainment device for consumers. It won't print (at least not without some third-party help), won't run Flash, and it really isn't built for business use. It remains unclear how business users will take to tablets.
Few apps: The BlackBerry App World catalogue has a sparse selection of 8000-plus apps, according to RIM. (I counted just over 8700 a couple of weeks ago.) Compared to Apple's 225,000 apps in its App Store, and the 60,000-plus apps in Google's Android Market, BlackBerry's store shelves look practically bare. However, these three platforms will probably be on a more even level (with the iPad taking the lead) when we start comparing apps written exclusively for tablets.
Dumb name: BlackPad? Sure, I get the synergy with "BlackBerry," but the tablet sounds like something right out of a 70's blaxploitation flick. Does a baaad mutha like John Shaft use a BlackPad?
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