Ever since researchers announced Apple had passed RIM in handset sales, the CEO of the BlackBerry maker has been on the warpath. The latest battleground was the Web 2.0 Summit, where the leader of the Canadian company said the lead was just in Steve Jobs distorted mind.
“For those of us who live outside of Apple’s distortion field, we know that 7 tablets will actually be a big portion of the market and we know that Adobe Flash support actually matters to customers who want a real web experience,” Jim Balsille said at his blog site. The words were echoed in a Tuesday speech on Web 2.0 technology.
Knocking Apple’s demands that developers use the Cupertino, Calif. company’s software development kit and the growing number of mobile applications, the RIM CEO said: “You don’t need to go through some kind of software development kit. That’s the core part of our message. You can use your existing development environment.”
“There’s still a role for apps, but can you use your existing content?” he asked, referring to Apple’s move to block Flash from iOS applications. “Can you use your existing web assets? Do you need a set of proprietary tools to bring existing assets on to a device, or can you use known tools that you use for creating websites?”
RIM’s remarks come as the cell phone maker attempts to respond to the iPad’s dominant position by offering consumers on online rebuttal via YouTube. Earlier this week, RIM released a video of its unreleased PlayBook tablet appearing to show faster web browsing capabilities. However, Balsillie refused to answer just when its tablet would go on sale.
Along with the thorn of the iPad, RIM is also smarting from a remark by Apple CEO Steve Jobs. “We’ve now passed RIM, and I don’t see them catching up with us in the foreseeable future.”
In another attempt to not be pushed aside by Apple and Google, the RIM CEO hinted his company would also play with the big boys when it comes to a NFC-powered iWallet.
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