Will BlackBerry and the Playbook crumble?

It wasn’t so long ago that the corporate BlackBerry was a badge of a serious business. But then along came the iPhone and Google’s advanced Android operating system – such seriousness started to look like a staid rejection of the latest technology.

Now, as every major technology company strives to launch a tablet computer to catch some of the iPad’s magic, BlackBerry is launching one too. The 7” PlayBook will go on sale in America next week and across Europe later on this quarter – already, however, major commentators are asking if BlackBerry is going the unfortunate way of Nokia.

Mike Lazaridis, co-Chief Executive of BlackBerry owner Research in Motion says that the new device “appeals to everyone – it’s a social device, a party machine and the perfect companion for PowerPoint presentations”.