# BlackBerry CEO: “In five years I don’t think there’ll be a reason to have a tablet anymore.”



## Kid_Eternity (Apr 30, 2013)

Well that's quite a prediction from the same company that said when the iPhone was first released it'll be a failure!



> “In five years I don’t think there’ll be a reason to have a tablet anymore,” Heins said in an interview yesterday at the Milken Institute conference in Los Angeles. “Maybe a big screen in your workspace, but not a tablet as such. Tablets themselves are not a good business model.”


 
Translation: "Waaah waaah we made a shite tablet and nobody in their right mind bought it, waaaah."

What a fucking idiot.


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## Johnny Canuck3 (Apr 30, 2013)

My favorite is seeing people taking photos with their tablets.

They look like total idiots.


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## Kid_Eternity (Apr 30, 2013)

Johnny Canuck3 said:


> My favorite is seeing people taking photos with their tablets.
> 
> They look like total idiots.


 
Heh it does look a little Dom Joly like but it's far from rare these days...!


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## Johnny Canuck3 (Apr 30, 2013)




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## ChrisFilter (Apr 30, 2013)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Well that's quite a prediction from the same company that said when the iPhone was first released it'll be a failure!
> 
> Translation: "Waaah waaah we made a shite tablet and nobody in their right mind bought it, waaaah."
> 
> What a fucking idiot.



We'll see. Personally I think the tablet is a really shit form-factor.


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## Corax (Apr 30, 2013)

ChrisFilter said:


> We'll see. Personally I think the tablet is a really shit form-factor.


I don't have one (and won't until the prices come down a fair bit more) - but the form seem on a par with a book tbh, and that seems to have done reasonably well over the years.


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## Maurice Picarda (Apr 30, 2013)

He doesn't seem to say what we'll have instead. Smart glasses and smart sensors, so we type on an imaginary keyboard, and manipulate objects in a virtual 3-D space? If those get good enough, tablets will certainly look rather passe.


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## ChrisFilter (Apr 30, 2013)

Corax said:


> I don't have one (and won't until the prices come down a fair bit more) - but the form seem on a par with a book tbh, and that seems to have done reasonably well over the years.



A good case that gives them a book's form-factor certainly helps.


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## skyscraper101 (Apr 30, 2013)

Every time I hear Thorsten Heins speak, he sounds more and more deluded about the epicness of Blackberry.

No clue at all.


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## ChrisFilter (Apr 30, 2013)

He has to sound like that. It's his job to be relentlessly enthusiastic.


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## Garek (Apr 30, 2013)

ChrisFilter said:


> We'll see. Personally I think the tablet is a really shit form-factor.


 
I dunno. I think the form factor is great. The problem is is that it is not seen as something utilitarian so too greater expectations are heaped onto it. It needs to be just a piece of technology you can pick up on the sofa, browse the net and just do really basic things with. It needs to be commonplace with a common place price tag. Problem is it is too burdened with "this is the future!" expectations.


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## mauvais (May 1, 2013)

I think there's a major flaw in the implementation of tablets, and I don't really know why noone has done anything about it, with the exception of Asus in a minor and hardly impactful way.

Everyone has a smartphone, set up how they like. The idea that you then need to have another set of apps and configurations on a tablet is really stupid. Even then, they usually have to be _different_ apps too. Even more stupid. The tablet's only real purpose is form factor, so why not just treat it as a big dumb screen for your mobile? Nope, we're off down the path of separate devices. You would have thought the demise of things like the Walkman would have put pay to that.


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## mwgdrwg (May 1, 2013)

ChrisFilter said:


> He has to sound like that. It's his job to be relentlessly enthusiastic.


 
The Z10 is an excellent smartphone, why wouldn't he be enthusiastic?


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## Kid_Eternity (May 3, 2013)

Corax said:


> I don't have one (and won't until the prices come down a fair bit more) - but the form seem on a par with a book tbh, and that seems to have done reasonably well over the years.


 
Yep.


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## Kid_Eternity (May 3, 2013)

Garek said:


> I dunno. I think the form factor is great. The problem is is that it is not seen as something utilitarian so too greater expectations are heaped onto it. It needs to be just a piece of technology you can pick up on the sofa, browse the net and just do really basic things with. It needs to be commonplace with a common place price tag. Problem is it is too burdened with "this is the future!" expectations.


 
I don't think it is, things only become the future because they're successful, if people just use tablets in the way you describe that's what they'll be and that will be the future...


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## Epona (May 4, 2013)

10 years ago I was predicting that in the future we'd need fewer gadgets, but that prediction turned out to be a stinking pile of horse shit - people seem to want and need a wider range of gadgets than ever before!

Personally I have little use for a smart phone, but if I had the cash I'd like to get a tablet or two (decent sized screens, not those mini jobs!) just for use around the home.


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## Maurice Picarda (May 4, 2013)

mauvais said:


> I think there's a major flaw in the implementation of tablets, and I don't really know why noone has done anything about it, with the exception of Asus in a minor and hardly impactful way.
> 
> Everyone has a smartphone, set up how they like. The idea that you then need to have another set of apps and configurations on a tablet is really stupid. Even then, they usually have to be _different_ apps too. Even more stupid. The tablet's only real purpose is form factor, so why not just treat it as a big dumb screen for your mobile? Nope, we're off down the path of separate devices. You would have thought the demise of things like the Walkman would have put pay to that.



The way that the iPad and iPhone sync with each other all the time and share applications - which is more or less what you're describing - is a bit of a pain; Mrs Loom's iPad is a shared asset and her iPhone is essentially private. Her friends pop up on facetime while I'm wasting time here.


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## mauvais (May 4, 2013)

Silas Loom said:


> The way that the iPad and iPhone sync with each other all the time and share applications - which is more or less what you're describing - is a bit of a pain; Mrs Loom's iPad is a shared asset and her iPhone is essentially private. Her friends pop up on facetime while I'm wasting time here.


I like what Asus did with I think the PadFone - phone plugs into the back of a tablet, which is really just a screen and battery, and then a keyboard base (more battery?) plugs into that to make a laptop. It's not a big success because the ecosystem isn't geared towards it, plus Android as a laptop doesn't really cut it, but I think it's good design. Why should I pay £400 for another set of CPU, memory etc when all I really want is form factor?


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## tarannau (May 4, 2013)

How is having something plugged into the back of your tablet, draining extra battery or requiring another power source, not affecting the form factor?  Ugly solution if you ask me, plus tablets tend to have a lengthy battery life, phones don't.


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## mauvais (May 4, 2013)

tarannau said:


> How is having something plugged into the back of your tablet, draining extra battery or requiring another power source, not affecting the form factor?  Ugly solution if you ask me, plus tablets tend to have a lengthy battery life, phones don't.


What do you think form factor means? It's just another way of saying size and shape. Both devices have a battery.

Turns out there's a new one. Here's the review: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/04/18/review_asus_padfone_2_phone_tablet_combo/


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## tarannau (May 4, 2013)

One of the key benefit of the tablet is that it's a immediate on device, a simple form factor that you can pick up and use quickly. Start fucking around with connections, plug ins and docking things and it's altogether less convenient and compelling. I should think there's a niche for fiddle-prone folks who like that kind of thing, but I doubt it's that large a slice of the market.


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## mauvais (May 4, 2013)

And conversely it's rubbish to have to mess about with sync or god forbid manual transfers when you realise your data is on the phone rather than tablet. OK, cloud-based services fix that, but better be sure you're networked.


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## grit (May 7, 2013)

Corax said:


> I don't have one (and won't until the prices come down a fair bit more) - but the form seem on a par with a book tbh, and that seems to have done reasonably well over the years.


 
Nexus 7 is about 160 quid, it aint going to get much cheaper any time soon.


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## grit (May 7, 2013)

mauvais said:


> but better be sure you're networked.


 
Really, what device isint these days?


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## Corax (May 7, 2013)

grit said:


> Nexus 7 is about 160 quid, it aint going to get much cheaper any time soon.


I'd like something a bit bigger tbh (eg the 10), and as I don't actually _need_ a tablet I'm talking about waiting years rather than months.  I don't have much disposable income, so I have to weigh it up against the value I'd get out of spending the same towards a holiday, or on taking the family out for a nice meal, or whatever.


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## Kid_Eternity (May 7, 2013)

grit said:


> Nexus 7 is about 160 quid, it aint going to get much cheaper any time soon.


 
It can't Google is already selling these things at cost, any cheaper and they make an almighty loss if the hysterical claims of success are to be believed.


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## editor (May 7, 2013)

Is Google selling the Nexus at a loss then?


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## grit (May 7, 2013)

editor said:


> Is Google selling the Nexus at a loss then?


 It is "subsidised", so effectively yes.


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## editor (May 8, 2013)

grit said:


> It is "subsidised", so effectively yes.


So Google are making a loss on each sale? Got an official link for that?


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## skyscraper101 (May 8, 2013)

I always understood they were selling them at cost or near cost. I seriously doubt they'd be selling at a loss though.


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## grit (May 8, 2013)

editor said:


> So Google are making a loss on each sale? Got an official link for that?


 A quick google will show its subsidised


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## mauvais (May 8, 2013)

grit said:


> Really, what device isint these days?


Really? Never been anywhere where you don't have Wi-Fi, or don't have cellular, or only have GPRS, or have run out of plan allowance, or data costs too much, or blah blah blah ooh cloud hosted storage, that's bound to be good?


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## elbows (May 8, 2013)

Although it is hard to find exact details of the subsidy because Google dont disclose such things, and I seem to recall some component cost analysis suggests it wasnt exactly making a huge loss, its pretty darn likely it is subsidised. Because Google arent manufacturing it themselves and they need to offer incentives to a partner like Asus, especially as reducing the price-point for such tablets obviously limits the ability of such manufacturers to sell other similar tablets at the sort of price they would normally aim for. Selling millions of the things is obviously good for Asus in various other ways but they would like to make some real profit per unit.

And its no secret as to why Google felt the need to bring something like the Nexus 7 to market when they did. It was a necessary and smart move, and I dont really understand why some android fans feel the need to pretend subsidy was not a big part of the story. Especially as android tablets are now selling well, there is no need to be defensive and pretend that everything was just rosy before the Nexus 7 initiative and subsequent things that other manufacturers have done to make their smaller android tablets sell well.


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## elbows (May 8, 2013)

And just imagine the agony google would be in now if they hadnt done it and instead let Amazon continue to eat their android tablet lunch. That alone made it a no-brainer for Google to act as they did and throw money at the issue.


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## mauvais (May 8, 2013)

Why should subsidy mean loss?


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## grit (May 8, 2013)

mauvais said:


> Really? Never been anywhere where you don't have Wi-Fi, or don't have cellular, or only have GPRS, or have run out of plan allowance, or data costs too much, or blah blah blah ooh cloud hosted storage, that's bound to be good?


 
Sure but thats when I would sync before leaving the network.

Oh and wifi is available on some flights now.


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## mauvais (May 8, 2013)

And that's my point. Why should I have to piss about syncing - fundamentally a device to device transfer - of what I want in advance, when conceptually I have it on one of my devices? Accessible networks are common but certainly not ubiquitous.


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## Epona (May 11, 2013)

mauvais said:


> Really? Never been anywhere where you don't have Wi-Fi, or don't have cellular, or only have GPRS, or have run out of plan allowance, or data costs too much, or blah blah blah ooh cloud hosted storage, that's bound to be good?


 
Indeed, my parents can't use their mobile phones at home because there's no reception there. Although apparently if you hang out of the upstairs north facing window at the right angle, you _might_ be able to get a connection, if you can hold that position for the duration of a call without falling out of the window you might actually be able to have a short conversation that way. They're in Surrey, not the outer Hebrides.


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## pinkmonkey (May 11, 2013)

I 





mauvais said:


> I think there's a major flaw in the implementation of tablets, and I don't really know why noone has done anything about it, with the exception of Asus in a minor and hardly impactful way.
> 
> Everyone has a smartphone, set up how they like. The idea that you then need to have another set of apps and configurations on a tablet is really stupid. Even then, they usually have to be _different_ apps too. Even more stupid. The tablet's only real purpose is form factor, so why not just treat it as a big dumb screen for your mobile? Nope, we're off down the path of separate devices. You would have thought the demise of things like the Walkman would have put pay to that.


I do think the 'different apps' thing is changing a bit, though, for instance I use Evernote, because it's ace and also because it works on my ipad, pc laptop and Android phone. There needs to be more standardisation.


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## pinkmonkey (May 11, 2013)

Epona said:


> Indeed, my parents can't use their mobile phones at home because there's no reception there. Although apparently if you hang out of the upstairs north facing window at the right angle, you _might_ be able to get a connection, if you can hold that position for the duration of a call without falling out of the window you might actually be able to have a short conversation that way. They're in Surrey, not the outer Hebrides.


Agreed, we live and work off grid and internet connection is a frustration, the nearest mast isn't *that* near to us. I dread wet and windy weather because it affects the connection. So having absolutely everything Cloud based can GTFO because I can't always access it.


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## Epona (May 11, 2013)

pinkmonkey said:


> Agreed, we live and work off grid and internet connection is a frustration, the nearest mast isn't *that* near to us. I dread wet and windy weather because it affects the connection. So having absolutely everything Cloud based can GTFO because I can't always access it.


 
People tend to assume these days that everyone has access to high speed internet and 24/7 mobile connection, but it simply isn't the case. My parents (who live in a place where you might get mobile phone reception if you hang out of the window at the right angle - or walk a mile up the road to the farm where you might be lucky enough to get one bar of your connection status showing up) are still on dial-up internet, they are only 50 miles away from London but in terms of internet/mobile phone access they are no better off now than they were 20 years ago.


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## grit (May 11, 2013)

mauvais said:


> And that's my point. Why should I have to piss about syncing - fundamentally a device to device transfer - of what I want in advance, when conceptually I have it on one of my devices? Accessible networks are common but certainly not ubiquitous.


 
Instead you are lobbying for the (currently) impossible, a phone that has enough GPU horsepower to power the form factor of a tablet while still maintaining the characteristics of a phone. It should be painfully obvious to see why the current approach has the best investment/reward ratio.


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## mauvais (May 11, 2013)

grit said:


> Instead you are lobbying for the (currently) impossible, a phone that has enough GPU horsepower to power the form factor of a tablet while still maintaining the characteristics of a phone. It should be painfully obvious to see why the current approach has the best investment/reward ratio.


Except it's already done, and works fine.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (May 11, 2013)

grit said:


> Instead you are lobbying for the (currently) impossible, a phone that has enough GPU horsepower to power the form factor of a tablet while still maintaining the characteristics of a phone. It should be painfully obvious to see why the current approach has the best investment/reward ratio.



I thought that tablets used the same chips as phones?


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## grit (May 11, 2013)

mauvais said:


> Except it's already done, and works fine.


 
A phone that has the same power as a tablet while maintaining the small form factor and GPU horse power? What is this magical device?


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## mauvais (May 11, 2013)

grit said:


> A phone that has the same power as a tablet while maintaining the small form factor and GPU horse power? What is this magical device?


The PadFone, as already linked to. The overspecced GPU works fine for powering a tablet. If it didn't then modern architectures don't exactly make it impossible to put extra capacity in the dumb tablet. As GS says, I'm not sure what you think is in tablets in the first place - mostly stuff like Tegra that also appears in phones.


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