What a difference a device makes.
Without the PlayBook, RIM is a $19 billion-a-year smartphone giant, which remains both very profitable (17% net profit margin, higher than IBM, HP, Samsung, HTC and, um, SAP) and fast-growing (its global user base today is 75 million, up 50% from 15 months ago).
With it, RIM looks like a fallen star. If RIM’s fallen, can it get back up? Contrary to most, I think it can. The problems around the PlayBook 1.0 were largely tactical and self-inflicted. I....