Seven Inches Is Plenty

Earlier this week, Apple's Steve Jobs earned the ire of Research In Motion, the Canadian company behind the Blackberry. During an earnings call on Monday with financial analyststs, Jobs dismissively remarked that 7-inch tablet computers were "too big to compete with a smartphone and too small to compete with an iPad". A RIM executive fired back via a blog post, writing, "We think many customers are getting tired of being told what to think by Apple."

Jobs had gone on to suggest that makers of 7-inch screens should "include sandpaper so users can sand down their fingers" in order to type. Jobs was addressing concerns that the iPad had missed its target of 4.8 million units by 20% and he blamed rival tablet makers for not marketing worthwhile products.

Blackberry will be launching a touchscreen tablet computer called the PlayBook. It will feature a 7-inch screen in a clear bid to challenge the iPad, which has a screen of nearly 10 inches.