James,
I am sure that you will receive all sorts of complaints for this post. However, I think that you are correct, but only half so.
RIM will sell lots of tablets for two reasons. First, as you mentioned, BlackBerry users like their phones, and this is a great assistant to the phone.
But, possibly more importantly, IT departments like BlackBerry devices for the extra security they provide. This is actually the genius in RIM's decision to not include stand-alone mail, calendar, or contacts applications, as well as not providing a 3G/4G modem initially. By linking to a BlackBerry device, the security of the data is not reduced or minimized. Further, if the tablet is lost or stolen, data is not at risk (or at least at significantly less risk).
Just as most large corporations have not been moving the iPhone or Android OS phones out of "testing", iOS and Android tablets have an uphill battle to get mainstream corporate adoption. By designing the Playbook in the way that they have, RIM has encouraged all IT departments to satisfy their clients desire for tablets with a device that can easily meet security requirements (plus it is from a name that is already trusted).
Yes, RIM will sell a ton of Playbooks, even if they never get significant consumer adoption. Corporations will buy these quickly.
Say what you will about the BlackBerry PlayBook, I am convinced RIM is going to sell boatloads of them. Reviews of the PlayBook have been less than stellar, but the ones I’ve seen are written from the perspective of the techie who compares it to the rest of the tablet field. I am testing the PlayBook, and I see the point being made by these reviews. But I’ve also been showing it to lots of non-techies, and every BlackBerry owner I’ve shown it to gets downright excited about the PlayBook. There are millions of folks like these, and I am convinced RIM will sell more tablets than all tablet makers except Apple.
Last night I showed it to such a group, and every person who played with it liked it. There were plenty of comments about how nice the gadget is and how easy it is to use. Those comments were tame compared to the members of the group who currently own BlackBerry phones. These folks reacted like kids on Christmas morning, and got more excited the longer they played with the PlayBook.
The primary beef that reviewers have pointed out is the single best feature according to this group of BlackBerry owners. I’m referring to the lack of native email, calendaring, and contact apps on the PlayBook. That didn’t concern this group in the least, and when I explained how the BlackBerry Bridge lets them work with those functions on the PlayBook while leaving the data on the phone, I wasn’t prepared for the reaction I got. I actually heard squeals of delight from several BlackBerry owners.
RIM gets it. They understand how devoted the core group of BlackBerry owners is to its products, and they have aimed the PlayBook squarely at them. The BlackBerry is an integral part of these folks’ lives, and the PlayBook takes that experience and makes it much better. As one BlackBerry owner told me, “this is a window into my BlackBerry, and that is wonderful!” She went on to exclaim she was going to buy one today. “Let my husband keep his beloved iPad, my PlayBook brings my BlackBerry front and center”.
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