Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Development
    • Development
    • Mobile
    • Networking
    • PC Hardware

    RIM’s BlackBerry Dakota Will Run OS 6.1, Not PlayBook OS: Report

    Written by

    Nicholas Kolakowski
    Published January 13, 2011
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      Research In Motion’s BlackBerry Dakota will launch with BlackBerry OS 6.1, according to rumors. That suggests the company’s plan to port the PlayBook tablet’s QNX-based operating system to smartphones is still far in the future.

      RIM’s 7-inch PlayBook will be the vanguard of an aggressive strategy to bolster the company’s position in the mobile space, where it faces fierce competition from the likes of Google Android and Apple’s iOS. Instead of porting the recently developed BlackBerry OS 6 onto the tablets, however, RIM made the decision to craft an all-new operating system from software assets acquired during its April 2010 takeover of QNX Software Systems from Harman International.

      Images purportedly of the BlackBerry Dakota, combining a physical QWERTY keyboard with a touch-screen, have circulated around the Web for several quarters. On Jan. 13, the blog Boy Genius Report offered an “exclusive” photo of the smartphone, along with a full specs breakdown. In addition to a 5-megapixel camera, 4GB of built-in storage, 2.8-inch VGA capacitive touch-screen, 3G mobile hotspot, and proximity sensor, the report claimed the Dakota would launch with “BlackBerry OS 6.1.”

      For some months, RIM executives have suggested that the PlayBook’s QNX operating system will find its way onto smartphones, while declining to offer a definitive timeframe. According to IntoMobile.com, an unnamed RIM vice president suggested to a breakfast audience at last September’s BlackBerry Developer Conference in San Francisco that QNX would take a significant amount of time to appear on BlackBerry devices.

      For developers, the QNX operating system’s open-source roots could make it attractive as an application-development platform. And for BlackBerry users, its ability to support a more powerful processor and graphics could prove beneficial as smartphones become more advanced in coming years.

      “Rather than seeing a less-capable device (the smartphone) donating its OS to a more-capable device (the tablet), the more-capable device will lead the way,” Ken Hyers, an analyst with Technology Business Research, told eWEEK in September. “When the BlackBerry gets the QNX OS, the OS will have been extensively field-tested on the tablet, meaning that smartphone customers will not have to put up with buggy software that hasn’t been properly tested.”

      While eWEEK was given only a few minutes’ worth of hands-on with the PlayBook at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the tablet seemed powerful enough to multitask a handful of applications without stutter or slowdown. In addition, the PlayBook offers full HTML5 and Adobe Flash 10.1 support, along with dual cameras for video conferencing.

      But it may be some time before that system finds its way onto a smaller device.

      Nicholas Kolakowski
      Nicholas Kolakowski
      Nicholas Kolakowski is a staff editor at eWEEK, covering Microsoft and other companies in the enterprise space, as well as evolving technology such as tablet PCs. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, Playboy, WebMD, AARP the Magazine, AutoWeek, Washington City Paper, Trader Monthly, and Private Air.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.