Blackberry maker planning iPad rival

Waterloo: Research In Motion, maker of the BlackBerry smartphone, plans to introduce a tablet computer in November to compete with Apple’s iPad, according to two people familiar with the company’s plans.

The device will have roughly the same dimensions as the iPad, which is a 9.7-inch diagonal screen.

The “Blackpad” device will include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless technology that will allow people to use their BlackBerry smartphones to connect to the internet.

RIM is racing to come out with a product to rival the iPad in the fast-growing market for devices that bridge the gap between smartphones and notebook computers.

Apple last month said it sold three million iPad tablet computers in 80 days after they debuted in the US.