RIM announces BlackBerry PlayBook tablet

[EricDP]

Article with a picture of the tablet, along with some specs...

http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2010/0...ry-tablet.html

"The PlayBook is aimed at business customers, co-chief executive Michael Lazaridis said during a speech at the conference. The device is 9.7 millimeters wide and features a seven-inch touch screen. It can run both HTML 5 and Flash 10.1 and has a one gigahertz dual-core processor with one gigabyte of RAM...."

"...The device also has front- and rear-facing cameras, supports 1080p high-definition video and has HDMI output..."

"...will be available in the United States in early 2011..."

"...will also have Wi-Fi compatibility, but it will not initially have 3G wireless connectivity..."

[carld]

Looks interesting but sounds $pendy.

[EricDP]

More pics and info on the RIM site now.

http://www.rim.com/

[Dulin's Books]

hmm ... PlayBook. I wonder if they considered BlackBoard. I saw that bandied about somewhere and liked it more than most other names i had seen rumored, including PlayBook.

[Logseman]

Is it me or Blackberry is setting its work-oriented positioning in fire? What the **** is intended with calling it "PlayBook"?

[SensualPoet]

I find it odd the device isn't a phone. You tether with your Blackberry or are forced into wifi. Really? A Blackberry without 3G embedded? If this is primarily targetted at the business crowd as openers, what's the payoff making you figure out how to sync this suit-pocket toy with your all-in-one business device ... your Blackberry?

[CazMar]

I just showed the article to my husband (a confirmed Blackberry fan). Oh well, there goes my new furniture.....

Love at first sight!

[Dulin's Books]

Originally Posted by Logseman

Is it me or Blackberry is setting its work-oriented positioning in fire? What the **** is intended with calling it "PlayBook"?

i think its intended a sports/coaching metaphor

[wodin]

Originally Posted by SensualPoet

I find it odd the device isn't a phone. You tether with your Blackberry or are forced into wifi. Really? A Blackberry without 3G embedded? If this is primarily targetted at the business crowd as openers, what's the payoff making you figure out how to sync this suit-pocket toy with your all-in-one business device ... your Blackberry?

I think they're trying to pump up their sagging phone sales. Personally I think it’s ill advised to exclude non-Blackberry phones. No way would I trade in my EVO for a Crackberry just to be a front end for this toy.

[pholy]

It seems to me it's just a question of whether or not they use a proprietary Bluetooth protocol or one of the standard open protocols. Most smartphones have Bluetooth in them already. So then you don't necessarily have to get a new data plan.

Doesn't every business-person already have a Blackberry, anyway? :-)

[EricDP]

There seems to be a lot being said about the lack of 3G service. The article does say 3G will come in a future model, just not the one out in Q1 2011... Odd choice that a phone maker wouldn't include this in rev 1, but maybe it's just a cost-containment thing?

[SensualPoet]

Yes, Blackberry is ubiquitous in the business crowd because it is SO well integrated to corporate mail and easy to use. This crowd is NOT about figuring out how to Bluetooth something; they can have trouble figuring out which button to press to start the presentation, let alone set up the projector. (That's not a knock, it's just reality of where their priorities lie.)

The Playbook could be a terrific extension of the Blackberry corporate e-mail, document, always connected capability. WiFi, alas, is not everywhere; and one worries about its security -- another cornerstone of Blackberry Enterprise. As yet another fully integrated Blackberry device, with the ability to "pair" with a known mate -- same e-mails, PINs, etc on one device or the other simultaneously -- what a joy. But if they incorporate complication ... uh-oh.

So, yah -- it's unreleased and the folks at RIM are very, very smart. Let's just say the jury is still out but leaning toward the defendant.

[SensualPoet]

Originally Posted by EricDP

There seems to be a lot being said about the lack of 3G service. The article does say 3G will come in a future model, just not the one out in Q1 2011... Odd choice that a phone maker wouldn't include this in rev 1, but maybe it's just a cost-containment thing?

That occurred to me, too. But if RIM can't contain the cost of a 3G Blackberry radio ... to kick-start a whole new device line ... well, that's another of those things that make one say ... hmmmmmmmmmm.

[envy]

Well thats what I've been waiting for. I want it. Its either that or the Samsung Tab

[phenomshel]

Originally Posted by Dulin's Books

hmm ... PlayBook. I wonder if they considered BlackBoard. I saw that bandied about somewhere and liked it more than most other names i had seen rumored, including PlayBook.

BlackBoard is taken. Not for a device, for software. It's used in online universities.