RIM Pulls Out 16GB BlackBerry PlayBook

 What used to be unverified rumors turn out to be true. Research In Motion has indeed pulled the plug off its entry-level BlackBerry PlayBook 16GB model. RIM explained in its press statement that the decision was made because the 32GB and 64GB varieties offer a better value. The $199 16GB model has a much smaller profit margin compared to the other two variants.

The 32GB model costs $249, just $50 more than the 16GB, while the 64GB version is $50 more than the 32GB moral.

It is a shame, however, that it took forever before the PlayBook became a viable product since its release. With its newly-minted BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0, as well as its multiple product updates, the tablet finally became a product worth noticing. Now, if only the PlayBook would offer BlackBerry Messenger.

RIM indulges in some ‘myth busting' at BlackBerry DevCon Europe

Alec Saunders, VP of Developer Relations, just took the stage at RIM's DevCon gathering in Amsterdam to build up and promptly knock down a few “myths” about RIM's state of health. First up, he tackled the notion that BlackBerry is a declining platform by saying that App World is seeing six million downloads per day, which is up 30 percent from three months ago. He also rejected the idea that BB app devs don't make money, revealing that 13 percent of them have made over $100,000 from their products and that App World generates 40 percent more revenue than the Android Market. Lastly, Saunders said “we're sorry” that RIM's strategy has been “hard to understand” for “some people”, but added that BB 10 will solve that problem. He said that the new OS represents a “simple and easy-to-understand strategy” that is about combining the best of QNX and the current BB OS, offering consistent cloud services and making software that is both backwards and forwards compatible.