RIM rebrands as Blackberry and Launches Blackberry Z10 and Q10 - Alicia Keys' Global Creative Director is a Girl on Fire for these Tallawah yet Beautiful Creatures

“RIM, renamed Blackberry, put on glitz, glamour and yes a little bling with CEO Heins doing a good job introducing BB10. The bling of course is Alicia Keys, named Blackberry Creative Director, who plans to be in the office at least for a while. Heins was met with ~1,000 reporters, bloggers, investors, analysts and Blackberry staff. It was a ‘slick’ show which is table steaks [sic] in the maturing and more competitive smart phone market”

Excerpt from CIBC analyst Todd Coupland on Blackberry 10 OS and Z10 and Q10 Launch as reported in BGR

Look like Ontario, Canada RIM (Research in Motion) is serious this time, as it seems Canadian Black Sheep have got their back, with the Blackberry 10 OS launched as chronicled in Kelroy’s Geezam blog article entitled “BlackBerry 10 Officially launches – Z10 and Q10 flagship devices” ! Read the Blackberry Z10 and the Blackberry Q10 Specs for yourself! This article’s not about specs, but rather Blackberry’s chances of making a solid comeback as the Mobile Computing world expands.

On Wednesday January 30^th 2013, not only did they launch the Blackberry 10 OS along with two (2) new handsets, the Z10 smartphone and an amped up Q10 with a revamped QWERTY Keyboard, they also changed their name to Blackberry as noted in “Research in Motion launches BlackBerry 10, changes corporate name”, published January 30, 2013, 10:39 AM By Chenda Ngak, CBS News.

No longer RIM, their simplified smartphone names that are easier to remember suggest the company rebranding to attack 2 separate markets: Consumers and Corporate  Enterprise types as predicted in my blog article entitled “Blackberry 10 OS and smartphones for Global Launch on January 30 2013AD - RIM's The Man with the Iron Fist needs a Solid Tablet Partner” .

They also named R& B Singer Alicia Keys their new Global Creative Director in a move that’s’ a clone of Intel appointing Black Eye Peas Will.I.Am as their Creative Director as noted in “BlackBerry goes glam, enlists Alicia Keys”, published January 30, 2013 8:45 AM PST by Shara Tibken, CNET News and “Alicia Keys Is BlackBerry’s New Creative Director”, published January 30, 2013 By Sam Grobart, BusinessWeek. 

The Girl on Fire was previously a user of Blackberry as noted in “Alicia Keys: BlackBerry’s Official Creative Director...Really”, published Jan 30, 2013 4:51pm By Joanna Stern, ABC News. That’s before smartphones became her Social Networking Weapon of choice, quote: “I was in a long-term relationship with BlackBerry and then I started to notice some new, hotter, attractive, sexier phones at the gym. I kinda broke up with you for something with a little more bling. I always missed the way you organized my life and the way you were there for me at my job. So I started to have two phones, I was playing the field. But then you called and you said you were working it out. And now, we are exclusively dating again.”

Not surprising as Alicia Keys’s been a prolific Social Network user, especially of Instagram on her Apple iPhone as noted in “BlackBerry’s new creative director Alicia Keys was an iPhone addict just days ago”, published Jan 31, 2013 11:49 AM ET by Kim Bhasin, Business Insider. A connection sure to resonate with many who’re fans of Apple and Facebook owned Instagram, which has plans for a Blackberry 10 OS app as reported in “Instagram BlackBerry 10 app ‘definitely coming’”, published 04 February 2013 By Luke Johnson, Trusted News.

A trend that been around for quite awhile in the Telecom World as a means of keeping the brand fresh and appealing to the ever changing taste of the Millennials (ages 18 to 28) as the trends towards Mobile Computing Matures as noted in my Geezam blog article entitled “How the Apple iPad killed Ultrabooks, Printing and the Mouse as the World Rediscovers Tablets”.

The Global Blackberry 10 OS Launch made the local news too as mentioned in “Review: BlackBerry Z10 is good stab at rebirth”, published February 1, 2013, The Jamaica Gleaner.  The Jamaica Gleaner. For now, availability is in UK (United Kingdom and Canada in February as stated in “Blackberry 10 handset to launch first in the UK”, published 30 January 2013 Last updated at 16:01 GMT, BBC News. Google Android smartphone lovin’ Americans will have to wait until March 2013 to get a taste of Blackberry 10 in March, being as they’re Doubting Thomases as it relates to RIM product being a hit.

Just as well, as UK and Canada are showing them loads of love, with strong sellouts for their various Carriers in BOTH the UK and Canada being reported by Jeffries analyst Peter Misek  in “BlackBerry Z10 off to 'solid start' in U.K., Canada - analyst”, published February 4, 2013 8:45 AM PST by Don Reisinger, CNET News and “Early reports suggest BlackBerry 10 is being embraced in the UK”, published February 4, 2013 By Andy Boxall, DigitalTrends.

Exactly as I’d predicted in my Geezam blog article entitled “RIM sends out official invitations to its Blackberry 10 OS, Z10 Launch and PlayBook Tablet Launch”; Blackberry owners were holding out for something better from RIM and they finally delivered, even changing their name to indicate their faith in their product.

Evidence to back up Jeffries analyst Peter Misek claim?

In Canada alone, 50% of new pre-subscriptions for the Blackberry Z10 are from Apple iPhone and Google Android owners as noted by CIBC analyst Todd Coupland in “The best news BlackBerry could possibly get: 50% of BB10 pre-registration in Canada may have come from iPhone, Android users”, published February 4, 2013 at 10:25 AM by Zach Epstein, BGR.

I was already anticipating greater things from RIM, as I knew they had something up their sleeve, such as possibly a new Playbook Tablet, being as it already runs on QNX OS, the basis for Blackberry 10 OS as noted in my Geezam blog article entitled “RIM sends out official invitations to its Blackberry 10 OS, Z10 Launch and PlayBook Tablet Launch”. That didn’t materialize, but that doesn’t mean Blackberry doesn’t have plans to make a Tablet in the future.

In short, as we Jamaicans, lover of the Blackberry to bits would say, RIM….er….I mean Blackberry a “Go haaard an’ All Out” by rebranding themselves with the name of their flagship phones, in essence tying their fate with the name of their product.

Jamaicans love that kind of “little but Tallawah” commitment and are most likely to snap them up like wildfire here in Jamaica when they go on sale at Telecom Provider LIME as noted in BlackBerry woos Caribbean with BB10, published Saturday, February 02, 2013 by PETE SANKEY Senior associate editor, The Jamaica Observer.

That and the fact that Blackberry 10 OS alone with the improved Browser and multimedia Capabilities, 70,000+ Apps comes with VoIP over Wi-Fi embedded in BBM (Black Berry Messenger) built in, the MAIN Reason why many did not abandon Blackberry in droves as prognosticated in my blog article entitled “RIM introduce VoIP Calling over Wi-Fi for BB Messenger - Telecom Providers Trouble with the Curve of Wi-Fi Calling”. VoIP over Data Services coming on your Data Plan via you’re Telecom Provider soon!

With Jamaicans already growing lovers of smartphone, these new Beautiful Creatures (2013) in the form of the Blackberry Z10 and the Blackberry Q10 being shepherded by Alicia Keys are gonna be a big boost to the transition to smartphones in Jamaica as it ties in Blackberry love, taking away that dubious distinction from Apple as noted in my Geezam blog article entitled “Apple iPhone boosts Jamaican smartphone usage as BB goes Chapter 11 Bankruptcy”.

Lenovo and HP now making Chromebooks - Google Chrome OS is being Built from the Cloud Up as Microsoft experiences the Side Effects

If you prick us do we not bleed? If you tickle us do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us shall we not revenge?

William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

Revenge indeed! Apparently the Microsoft Surface has ruffled the feathers of its many PC hardware partners as predicted in my blog article entitled “Microsoft debuts Windows 8 with new Surface Tablets - PixelSense rebranding as the Dark Knight Rises to defeat PC World”. So much so that they’re now slowly turning towards making Chromebooks for Google’s Chrome OS, which lives in the cloud.

First introduced in December 2010 as explained in my blog article entitled “Google Chrome Press Event - Naked Gun 33 and a Third The Final Insult”, the concept of a NC (Network Computer), a Laptop with its head, or at least OS (Operating System) that’s really a Browser and files based in Cloud Servers, seemed farfetched.

Back then it the only Mobile Internet was mostly 3G Internet with its spotty coverage, which meant the earlier models were Wi-Fi only deals. The lack of the ability to locally host your files didn’t make them any more popular; having your files stranded on a Server made many who were familiar with Google’s privacy snafus uncomfortable. Still at least if someone stole your Laptop, they couldn’t get you files and recovery’s a snap as it’s already backed up in the Cloud a plus for this new Class of Computer

Well that was so 2010.

By the Fourth Quarter of 2012, 2 years on, Samsung, one of their original Partners, has now committed itself further to the Chromebook concept, outing a 3G upgrade to what was originally a Wi-Fi only deal. The issue with local hosting of files was also resolved, as users of Chromebooks can now save offline copies to a thumb Drive.

Again, another nice plus; no viruses, as everything kept nice and clean via strong antivirus protection on the Cloud Servers used by the Google Chromebooks. Also with LTE lighting up no in so many cities, this made the Chromebook suddenly an attractive option.

The new 11.6” 3G Samsung Chromebook, which debuted on Thursday October 18^th 2012 costs US$399, only US$100 more expensive than its Wi-Fi compatriot at US$299 as noted in the article “New Samsung Chromebook's 3G model costs $330”, published October 19, 2012 6:59 AM PDT by Don Reisinger, CNET News.

Geezam blog Editor-in-Chief Kelroy Brown had written about the same upgraded 11.6” Samsung Chromebook as staged in the Geezam blog article entitled “Google Introduces new $249 Chromebook”.

It caught Geezam’s interest as the upgrade indicated not only further commitment to the Chromebook concept, but also the possibility that they were making money from the lower cost MacBook clone that’s really a barebones shell of a Laptop at prices well below higher performance models.

This update of the 11.6” model was apparently a follow-on, West indies Cricket Style, of the June 2012 revamping of the 17.1” Samsung Chromebook  as stated in the Geezam blog article entitled “Google releases revamped Chromebooks and ChromeBox empowering Mobile Computing in the Clouds”. With it came the intro of the first Desktop implementation of the Google Chrome OS, an Apple Mac Mini styled BYOMKD (Bring Your Own Mouse, Keyboard and Display) Chromebox Mini Computer. 

Samsung, it seemed, had been getting serious about Google Chrome OS for quite awhile. Samsung’s attraction for the Chromebook’s obvious; no expensive tie in’s to Microsoft, as the Chromebooks use what’s essentially a Browser based Open Source Operating System. The Chromebooks all have attributes of Tablets but with a keyboard; SSD (Solid State Drives) and near instantaneous boot times.

Add to that  phenomenal battery life oweing to the lack of Spinning Harddrive or a CD Burner, with near infinite storage, drawing up on the processing power of the Cloud to process Files and Date stored in Google’s Cloud Drive. Thus the Laptops can be made cheaper and units shipped and sold faster and they’ll sell on the basis of having a Tablet like performance in a Laptop form-factor.

Less than a month later in November 2012, Acer, another of the original partners-in-crime with Google on the Chromebook, also upgraded their 11.6” Acer C7 Chromebook offering, dropping their price in the process to the MPP (Magical Pricing Point) of US$199 as reported in “Google releases 11.6-inch, $199 Chromebook from Acer”, published November 12, 2012 10:43 AM PS by Casey Newton, CNET News.

Looks like these attributes explain the phenomenal sales numbers for the Chromebook made by Google’s other partner, Acer. Acer’s President Jim Wong’s reported that 5 to 10% of their Laptop Sales are Chromebooks, sales that seem poised for future growth as stated in “Acer reports brisk Chromebook sales while Windows 8 still lags”, published Jan 28, 2013 8:31 AM by Jared Newman, PC World.

Meanwhile sales of Microsoft Windows 8 barely moving as stated in “Acer Chromebook sales eating away at Windows 8 revenues”, published Jan. 28, 2013 - 10:04 AM PST By Kevin C. Tofel, GigaOM.     

In fact, the Chromebook is now the No. 1 Selling Laptop on Amazon, so much so to the point of being out of stock as stated in the article “As netbooks crash and burn, Amazon’s best-selling Laptop is a Chromebook”, published January 2, 2013 at 5:17 PM by Zach Epstein, BGR.

Nothing surprising there, though, as it’s obvious they’re making moolah, right?

Surprise!

All of a sudden Lenovo, No. 2 computer maker Globally, announced on Thursday January 17^th 2013, their offering of the 11.6” Lenovo ThinkPad X131e Chromebook which came out on the heavy side with a price-tag of US$619 as stated in “Lenovo joins Chrome OS party with Laptop for schools”, published January 17, 2013 9:32 AM PST by Stephen Shankland, CNET News.

Lenovo’s a little more clear, aiming the product at High Schools and College Students as stated in “Lenovo’s first Chromebook is heading to school”, published January 17, 2013 by Jennifer Bergen, DigitalTrends, an indication that this model’s taking advantage of the omnipresent Free Wi-Fi access that’s now a part of every student’s life and may really be a Wi-Fi only model.

A big step for Google, making many wonder if Microsoft was somehow worried that it’s PC partners were slowly abandoning them, vexed over their launch of the Microsoft Surface as recorded in my blog article entitled “Microsoft debuts Windows 8 with new Surface Tablets - PixelSense rebranding as the Dark Knight Rises to defeat PC World”.

Now it seems the rivalry just “tun’ up” as now HP (Hewlett Packard) has now jumped into the ring, with the first 14” HP Pavilion Chromebook 14-c010us described on spec sheet posted on HP’s website as reported in “HP Spec sheet shows HP entering Chromebook market”, published January 28, 2013 9:44 AM PST by Stephen Shankland, CNET News and “HP preparing to launch its own Chromebook”, published January 28, 2013 By Kwame Opam, DigitalTrends.

Guess my predictions of a Google Chrome OS Tablet as stated in my blog article entitled “HP TouchPad a target for Modders - PopCaan Raving Chicken Run Lazarus effect for Cloud-Based Chrome OS Tablet” may not be too far behind.

Great for High Schools and Colleges, which would explain why 2000 schools around the world are using Chromebooks as stated in “Chromebooks now used in 2,000 schools around the world”, published February 1, 2013 by Mariella Moon, DigitalTrends, with the Chromebooks being offered to Teaching Staff at discount prices.

Thus these developments mark the revival of the Laptop from the Dead as I’d predicted in my blog article entitled “Google Chrome OS and Smart Books - Connection between SSD's, the Fountain of Youth and Lazarus”. Good to note here HP also has plans for their own Tablet in 2013 as their Printing business is slowly being killed off by Tablets as noted in my blog article entitled “HP to make Tablets that run on Windows 8 – Resident Evil Retribution for Printing”.

Possibly a Google Chrome based Tablet, powered by their Cloud Servers?

Farfetched but very much in the realm of possibility. For the record, HP’s No. 3 in the PC Market. If Dell joins in, Microsoft will be undone. More as this story as Google Chrome OS is being Built from the Cloud Up and Microsoft experiences the Side Effects (2013) of Revenge of the PC Makers.