Rumor: RIM Starting PlayBook Production at 200,000 Units a Month?

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The quasi-reliable DigiTimes let out a rumor this weekend that RIM’s production of the BlackBerry Tablet has started in Taiwan. According to their sources the Quanta’s plant that is building the devices is ramped up to 150,000-200,000 units a month with devices ready to ship in February. The DigiTimes is also saying that:

RIM has required that all PlayBook tablets be built in Taiwan to avoid of being copied by white-box makers in China, while also protecting its security specifications, the sources added. Quanta declined to comment on orders for individual clients, but stated that it still maintains sufficient capacity in Taiwan to meet client needs, while the majority of its production lines are in China.

A production line of only 200,000 PlayBooks a month sounds really small for the launch RIM seems to have planned for the device. I cannot think of any of the parts other the the processor being in a shortage but at that rate we will only be seeing 1-2 million of these devices available in 2011. This has me thinking that these numbers might be a bit off or missing another plant working on the device but who knows. Here is to hoping RIM does not have a shortage on their hands when the device rolls out!

I know I cannot wait for a PlayBook so one of those first 200,000 better be coming to me! 🙂

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