Some would argue that a CEO talking up a product before it launches is a sure sign that vapourware is on the horizon. The best CEOs in the world realize that talking up your product before an official launch seldom pays off. Instead, it adds fodder to a potential fire, should the product turn out to be a bust. Jim Balsillie is not one of those CEOs.
Jim Balsillie has gone on record with the following gems,
“I think the PlayBook redefines what a tablet should do”
“I think the PlayBook clearly sets the bar WAY higher on performance, and you’re going to see more”
“I think the BlackBerry is still number one in social collaboration”
Balsillie reiterated that he thinks RIM is “just well ahead on the PlayBook, well ahead internationally, and extending very very well.”
It’s pretty obvious that Balsillie thinks the PlayBook is better than the iPad, given his recent rants about Apple. But, the problem isn’t that he believes in the product. The problem is that he’s comparing the PlayBook to an iPad that’s already almost a year old. And that’s a big problem.
Will the PlayBook be better than the original iPad? Probably. RIM has had 8 months to figure out how to make their upcoming device better than a product that reached the market over eight months ago. If the PlayBook isn’t better than the original iPad, you better start selling off your RIM stocks. But, will the PlayBook be better than the iPad 2? That’s the real question, considering the PlayBook and the iPad 2 will be hitting the market at the same time.
Companies are just now starting to catch up with the iPhone, and it’s hard not to think that this will play out the same way with the iPad. Balsillie can compare his PlayBook to the iPad all he wants, but what consumers want to know is whether or not it will compare to the iPad 2.
For RIMès sake, they better hope it does, because if it doesn’t, Ballsillie has already loaded the guns of their critics.
When are CEOs going to learn. Dhip a product then start talking it up. You think Balsillie would have learned that from his dealings with the NHL.
Article Via Apple Insider
