[ScOObydoo]

BlackBerry fends off its wireless rivals
Ian Austen NYT
Monday, October 4, 2004
About a year ago, PalmOne was poised to challenge the dominance of the BlackBerry, the wireless e-mail device made by Research in Motion that has become the gadget of choice among celebrities and politicians.

PalmOne seemed to have all the advantages. It had a customer base in the millions while BlackBerry users numbered in the hundreds of thousands. Along with its acquisition of Handspring, PalmOne acquired the Treo, a device that combined a BlackBerry-like e-mail device with a Palm-based hand-held computer with all the extras that the BlackBerry lacks, like games, cameras and music players.

But somehow, the message did not make it through to BlackBerry's loyal fan base. Not only have sales of PalmOne's Treo lagged behind those of the BlackBerry, but things have never been better for RIM.

Last week RIM, based in Waterloo, Ontario, reported a 147 percent year-over-year increase in second-quarter revenue. After reaching one million BlackBerry subscribers in February, RIM anticipates having two million by the end of the year.

http://www.iht.com/articles/541841.htm