RIM Abandons PlayBook?

It doesn’t seem like the bad news ever stops for BlackBerry maker, Research in Motion (RIM). RIM’s once-popular smartphones have been overtaken by Android and iPhones, its shares have dropped tremendously, and its investors are pushing for RIM to split into two companies.

Now, RIM is reporting that PlayBook tablet sales are more than just “disappointing.”

The tablets were originally priced from $499 to $699. Both Office Depot and Staples have recently decided to take off $100.

Additionally, if you’re willing to work hard for your money, you can get a $100-gift card from Office Depot or a rebate at Staples. That is—if you can answer the question of why anyone would even want a PlayBook at this point.

The PlayBook runs on RIM’s new, experimental QNX platform, which offers Android-based apps. The use of Android apps on the PlayBook seemed alluring, until users quickly discovered that many Android features don’t work on the PlayBook, as promised.

Will RIM drop the PlayBook eventually? What will be the BlackBerry-maker’s next move? Are we too afraid to ask?