Research in Motion is off to a slow start with its upcoming BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. Production of the device is in full swing, though only at a mere 150,000 to 200,000 units a month, according to sources at component suppliers who spoke to the news site Digitimes.

Shipments of the PlayBook could be ready as early as February, the part makers say. With the tablet expected to be released in the US some time in March, the current production output would give RIM a limited stock of the device.

If the PlayBook proves to be wildly successful, RIM could easily find itself unable to meet consumer demand. The company previously said it would have 1 million PlayBooks available at launch &8212' now that number looks closer to 500,000. RIM can&'t really afford to have anything go wrong with the PlayBook&'s launch, as it will have to contend with upcoming Android-based tablets, like Motorola&'s Xoom, as well as Apple&'s iPad 2.

RIM is also reportedly restricting production of the PlayBook to hardware manufacturer Quantaa4‚¬a4„s Taiwanese plants. The company is worried that bootleg hardware manufacturers in China would get their hands on the tableta4‚¬a4„s designs if it were produced there. Restricting production to Taiwan would also help protect the devicea4‚¬a4„s security specifications &8212' something thata4‚¬a4„s extremely important to RIM, since it still needs to convince businesses (and more importantly, their IT departments) to adopt the device.

Therea4‚¬a4„s still apparently room for RIM to ramp up production of the PlayBook at Quantaa4‚¬a4„s Taiwanese plants, but I predict the company will keep production low until it sees just how much US consumers and businesses want the device.

Via Electronista

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Tags: Blackberry, BlackBerry PlayBook, tablets

Companies: Quanta, RIM

Tags: Blackberry, BlackBerry PlayBook, tablets

Companies: Quanta, RIM

Devindra Hardawar is VentureBeat's lead mobile writer and East Coast correspondent. He studied philosophy at Amherst College, worked in IT support for several years, and has been writing about technology since 2004. He now lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can reach him at devindra@venturebeat.com (all story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com), and on Twitter at @Devindra.

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