RIM: Smartphones will trump netbooks

Apple and RIM have something in common after all. Well, other than the fact that both companies happen to be smartphone makers in an increasingly competitive playing field. In a recent interview with Fast Company, RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie says that the company has "no interest" in adding a netbook to its popular line of smartphones. In the same vein, Apple's COO Tim Cook, when asked about the company's interest in netbooks in late-April, answered that the company has none.

Balsillie notes that the only netbook that RIM would be interested in would be something that "you can hold up to your ear and clip onto your belt." Elaborating, he added, "At the end of the day what we've really found is that if [customers] can do it on a BlackBerry that's what they'll want."

Balsillie's comment reminded me of a friend who switched to a BlackBerry smartphone recently. In an ecclesiastic moment, he commented "It's like a mini-computer; I can do everything with it." The merits of the various competing smartphone platforms aside, what would you prefer: A smartphone or a netbook?

To read more about this story:
- check out this article from Fast Company

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