So RIM...Wants to Be Obsolete?

Take a last look at the Adobe Flash logo

You may have heard the shocking news: Adobe has decided to cease developing its Flash Player for mobile browsers.  Well, it turns out that Adobe is also yanking Flash from connected TVs, and will focus on pushing native apps.

Whatever.

The interesting part isn't really that Adobe is starting to give up on its Flash platform--it's been giving up on Flash for a while now, and it has even released an HTML5 development tool called Adobe Edge.  But what is interesting is that Research In Motion, maker of BlackBerrys and, um, more BlackBerrys (oh, and that PlayBook tablet thingy), is determined to be obsolete.

RIM told AllThingsD on Wednesday that it has licensed Adobe's source code and will continue to support Flash on its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet.

"As an Adobe source code licensee, we will continue to work on and release our own implementations. RIM remains committed to delivering an uncompromised Web browsing experience to our customers, including native support for Adobe Flash Player on our BlackBerry PlayBook tablet (similar to a desktop PC browser), as well as HTML5 support on both our BlackBerry smartphone and PlayBook browsers," RIM said to AllThingsD in a statement.

"In fact, we are pleased that Adobe will focus more efforts on the opportunities that HTML5 presents for our developers, and shares our commitment to HTML5 as we discussed together at DevCon Americas."

RIM BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet

Er...yeah.  Okay, RIM.  Do what you gotta do.  It's not like the PlayBook is exactly shooting off shelves--just a month ago retailers slashed the PlayBook's prices to as low as $250 (originally $500).  And now it's being reported that if you buy two PlayBooks you'll get a third one absolutely free. Yeah...I think this is the first time I've seen a normally $500 tablet go the type of sale usually reserved for pens and deodorant.

Also, Google will reportedly stop offering its BlackBerry Gmail application later this month, and they will no longer support the app, though users who already have the app installed will be able to continue using it.  That's even better news for RIM and its tablet, considering the PlayBook doesn't have a native e-mail app (or native calendar or contact apps, but who's counting).

Instead, Google will focus on "building a great Gmail experience in the mobile browser," the company said Tuesday.  Hopefully that experience will use Flash, because otherwise RIM can kiss its tablet situation good-bye...