Quote:

RIMM is toast unless they get a white knight hero to run the place.

Are You gonna take the reins if asked, Karl?

...or do We have to wait until there is blood all over the RIMM boardroom and this pig is ready to be taken private by a TF posse flush with the ****ing money We will have made from shorting Apple all the way to $20.53 ?

"YEEEE - ****ING - HAAAAWWW!"

if you're losing 30% overnight on a Galaxy tab there is something wrong.

My Acer Iconia lasts a working week with light use, no problem. Right now, its been idle for a tick over 2.5 days and has 84% battery. That's ~0.26% per hour idle battery drain.

Agree though on that strategy to save RIMM. The Blackberry could hold its own if it kept its current feature set but also utilised Android apps (noting that the term "GAPPS" refers to Google's proprietary apps...those would need an off-market flash on a non Google authorised Android device).

Google has never cared about people loading and using GAPPS -- in fact, you can download the APKs involved and use them -- that's perfectly fine with them. They have had a*****-fit about people including them in their built ROMs without permission, but that makes sense -- they want control over what revision goes out in what and when.

So RIMM would either have to (1) allow them to be side-loaded (trivial and requires no permission) or (2) get Google's permission to include them in the image file. I suspect Google would have no quarrel with the request but if they did unless they pulled GAPPS for public use entirely the sideload option is one RIMM could permit without Google's explicit involvement.

So what if the company fails? Someone will pick up the scraps from the bankruptcy court and we will likely see a new RIMM, better than old RIMM, no? Hopefully, part of Google?

Like we see a new Palm, better than the old Palm, a part of HP?

-Uwe-

Good post. I've been a licensee of QNX Neutrino for some time. Getting nervous about it, though, because of potential rise in license costs and availability of the code if a crazy like Larry Ellison buys QNX.

I do however, think it's time to re-think the whole kernel concept and general full range operating systems, in particular for embedded and limited power systems.

Throxx wrote..

Are You gonna take the reins if asked, Karl?

Sure, for the right price. And it's reasonably cheap on the up-front, but not on the stock options side. And yeah, that means I get my cost of living and such covered if it blows, but that's no worse than what's going to happen if they stay on their present course.

If I did it and pulled it off I'd deserve the money too. I know exactly how I'd approach the problem; I'm sure there would be some changes once I saw the guts of the organization but the basic approach isn't that hard to figure out.

You certainly seem to understand the challenges facing RIMM, and seem to have a plan for unlocking/maximizing the value of the property.

I imagine that You would have a few things to add/adjust under the hood as far as security and features to the RIMM QNX environment beyond simply opening up to GAPPS.

IMHO, You may be perfectly suited to such as leading a renaissance at RIMM under present conditions.

Unfortunately, TF might take a bit of a back seat for a year or several; but, on the other hand: I sure would sure as hell load up on RIMM options in anticipation of success if You were to take the bridge!

Karl not sure if this will work for you but it looks like native personal encryption is coming to the Playbook OS update 2.1 for early summer.

http://www.berryreview.com/2012/05/02/pl....

"In other words, your co-workers are willing to spend their own money on an iPhone and a data plan for it, as opposed to using a totally free Blackberry?"

That might be considered a cheap way to retain high skilled employees too. Part of the comp package or contract is a iPhone and a iPad. Corporation can also get their logo burned into them or at at least the printed name of the corporation.

Does anyone offer a basic cell phone with 911 service/ AAA/ OnStar like service only? I know you can get a prepaid and call 911 at no charge, but it seems to me that if they made a OnStar like service with a single button on/off connect there would be a market out there for it for a single one time purchase just like there is a market for mobile emergency kits for cars and trucks.

Simple, simple, simple and low price.

You can use 911 on any cell phone, even if you aren't paying for service.