A decade ago, the name BlackBerry wasn't known for entertainment. It was, however, the device worshipped by many IT departments. It also spawned email addiction everywhere, to the point that it was jokingly known as the "CrackBerry."
That was then. Now, Research in Motion is barely holding on in the smartphone arena, losing ground to the iPhone and Android handsets. Even with reliable world phones, the BlackBerry brand hasn't drawn in those desiring more than button-up business handsets.
Last year, RIM tried to break out of the mold with the PlayBook tablet. Instead of rewriting the playbook for a tablet launch, however, the company was sent back to the drawing board. A year later, RIM has apparently learned from its mistakes and is ready for another round in the guise of the PlayBook 2.0.
The update of the PlayBook OS will arrive in February. On the surface, the advances are on the business and messaging front. Expect a new native calendar and contact applications, as well as the ability to drag-and-drop and rearrange applications. There will also be better intregration for email, LinkedIn and Twitter.
At last week's Consumer Electronics Show, RIM showed how the PlayBook 2.0 could be essential throughout the workday. However, there doesn't seem to be a quitting time for this device, since it's also designed for after-hours use. Besides Android support, the company says that they have published a guide for developers to root their own units, which will support Cyanogen Google Apps and even launch the Google Android Market.
Whether this will be enough for a new chapter for the PlayBook is yet to be seen. That said, the company appears to have turned the page on its mistakes.
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