Research in Motion (RIMM - option chain) shares are rising today after the company's Co-CEO Jim Balsillie told Bloomberg that the company will begin rolling out its tablet computer, the Playbook, in the US during the first quarter of 2011. RIMM will launch the device globally during the second quarter. He also told Bloomberg, "There's a lot of demand and we are seeing a lot of interest from international retailers." Balsillie added that the company has not been losing corporate smartphone customers to its rivals Apple (AAPL) and Google (GOOG), noting that RIMM's smartphone software platform should surpass AAPL's in the third quarter of 2011. If you think that the stock won't fall by too much in the coming months, then now could be a good time to look at a bullish hedged trade on RIMM.

RIMM opened this morning at $55.30. So far today the stock has hit a low of $55.27 and a high of $57.87. As of 12:15, RIMM is trading at $57.78 up $2.78 (5.0%). The chart for RIMM looks bullish and S&P gives RIMM a positive 4 STARS (out of 5) buy ranking.

Microsoft (MSFT - option chain) shares are rising today after company CEO Steve Ballmer touted the company's new tablet Windows devices at a conference, saying, "This year, one of the most important things that we will do in the smart device category is really push forward with Windows 7-based slates." Ballmer said new tablets running Windows 7 are in development from Acer, Dell (DELL), Samsung, Toshiba, and Sony (SNE), among others. Microsoft is hoping to compete directly with Apple's (AAPL) iPad tablet, which has seen brisk sales since being introduced earlier this year. If you think that the stock won't fall by too much in the coming months, then now could be a good time to look at a bullish hedged trade on MSFT.

MSFT opened this morning at $24.43. So far today the stock has hit a low of $24.42 and a high of $24.84. As of 12:20, MSFT is trading at $24.72 up 0.45 (1.9%). The chart for MSFT looks bullish and S&P gives MSFT a positive 4 STARS (out of 5) buy ranking.

Apple's (AAPL) new wonder device, the iPad, got off to a strong start even before this weekend's official launch date. Eager customers lined up at Apple stores Saturday to get their hands on the new and much-hyped tablet-style PC. This was due in part, no doubt, to the fact that Apple sold out of preorders of the iPad.

With a starting price of $499 to $699, estimates for iPad sales for all of 2010 range from 3 million to 6 million units. Estimates for just this weekend alone range from 300,000 to 500,000 units out the door and into the hand of early adopters and Apple fanatics.

Taiwan's Acer has been on a tear recently. It markets the eMachines, Acer and Gateway computer brands and overtook Dell Inc. (DELL) recently to become the second-largest computer seller in the world. It may not be the most innovative, but it is selling a large amount of PCs every quarter. Its presence is large in the U.S. retail sector, where Dell's efforts over the last 18 months are still not where they need to be.

Now that Acer Chairman J.T. Wang wants to see Apple's (AAPL) new iPad tablet computer, one has to wonder why Acer cares at all. Although Amazon, Inc. (AMZN) already has the Kindle e-reader device (and ready to unveil a third-generation product to compete with Apple), Acer's Chairman may not realize that Apple is not wanting to compete as a tablet PC manufacturer.

The first part of every year is marked by tradeshows and product releases. For the gadget crowd (that is, most Americans), all the cool products are announced sometime in January and released sometime in the year.

Although consumer electronics giant Apple (AAPL) will not confirm that it's planning to announce a tablet-like computer at the CES tradeshow, many other companies that believe they compete with Apple are expected to have their own versions of a tablet ready to leap off PowerPoint screens soon.

For a company that hasn't even admitted to a new product, expectations are awfully high. The word is out that Apple (AAPL) will be unveiling a tablet computer at a major product launch this month.

Former Google (GOOG) exec Lee Kai-fu put out on his blog that he knows its coming, citing an anonymous source, and that the device would sell for less than $1,000. It's going to have a 10.1-inch screen and three-dimensional graphics, he continued, according to a Bloomberg News report, saying it would look like a large iPhone.

Apple (AAPL) got an early Christmas present, as its shares hit an all-time high on Thursday. The excitement over its much-anticipated tablet computer is growing, and word is a major launch event is planned for the device in January (keep an eye on San Francisco). Apple still hasn't admitted to the project, but that didn't manage to dampen speculation.

Yair Reiner of Oppenheimer said in a note to investors this month that Apple could have a tablet out on the streets by the beginning of April. Brian Marshall, an analyst at Broadpoint AmTech, sees the product reaching shelves by the end of the first quarter. Marshall sees the stock continuing to push upward next year, as "people are coming back to the well."