Apple's IPad 2 Demand To Blame For RIM Playbook Delay

Apple's success with the iPad has been a tremendous boon for the company. But Apple's tablet ambitions have also had an impact on the abilities of rival manufacturers to get their products to market.

According to DigiTimes' sources, Apple's demand for touch screens was so large that it stripped manufacturers of most of their supplies, leaving rival companies like Research In Motion with little material for their own tablets. In RIM's case, say DigiTimes' sources, supply shortages were severe enough that they forced the company to delay shipments of its Playbook tablet. Sources also cite software testing issues as one of the causes for the PlayBook's delay.

Previously, DigiTimes said Apple had secured close to 60% of global touch panel displays, leaving only 40% for rival manufacturers to share for their own devices. Apple has placed its 2011 shipping goal at 40 million units, DigiTimes says.

The PlayBook is currently slated for an April 19 release.