RIM fights back
Posted Oct 20, 2010 04:29:41 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Research In Motion fired back at Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs’ criticism of the BlackBerry maker on Tuesday, saying barbs about its PlayBook tablet computer do not make sense outside of Apple’s “distortion field”.
Jobs, speaking on an earnings call for the first time in two years on Monday, said a batch of seven-inch tablets heading for market to compete with Apple’s 10-inch screen iPad would be “dead on arrival”, and boasted that iPhone sales had overtaken BlackBerry sales.
“For those of us who live outside of Apple’s distortion field, we know that seven-inch tablets will actually be a big portion of the market,” RIM’s co-CEO Jim Balsillie said.
RIM, which announced the seven-inch screen PlayBook in September, but doesn’t expect to sell the device until early next year, has highlighted its ability to support Adobe’s widely used Flash multimedia software, something the iPad does not do.
Balsillie also countered Jobs’ boast that Apple’s iPhone had outsold the BlackBerry in its latest quarter, saying RIM’s staggered quarters — its last one ended August 28 — made the comparison difficult.
“Industry demand in September is typically stronger than summer months,” he said, adding that the 14.1 million iPhones sold in Apple’s fourth quarter, ended September 25, may have been padded by slow sales in the previous quarter.
“As usual, whether the subject is antennas, Flash or shipments, there is more to the story. and sooner or later, even people inside the distortion field will begin to resent being told half a story,” Balsillie said.
