RIM begins the battle that will decide the fate of its PlayBook tablet

We feel for the poor schlubs stuck manning the Research in Motion booth at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas: the BlackBerry manufacturer showed up to the year’s biggest tradeshow with nary a new gadget to unveil. Still, RIM did demo a much-anticipated software upgrade for the albatross around its neck PlayBook. The new operating system–really, the company’s last chance to save its tablet–promises to fix glitches and provide mail, calendar and contacts applications (though we have to ask: what use is a tablet without an email app?). Techies may have given the upgrade the thumbs-up, but it’s still going to be tough to wash away the taint after months of deep discounts. Read the entire story [Globe and Mail] »