Baraka_Guru

RIM Unveils The BlackBerry PlayBook - Marketwire Press Release

Let's cut to the chase.

Here are the specs (with iPad comparisons in red square brackets):

• 7" LCD, 1024 x 600, WSVGA, capacitive touch screen with full multi-touch and gesture support [9.7-inch LED backlit]
• BlackBerry Tablet OS with support for symmetric multiprocessing [and multitasking] [iOS, with "multiswitching" coming soon]
• 1 GHz dual-core processor [1 GHz (single core)]
• 1 GB RAM [256 MB RAM]
• Dual HD cameras (3 MP front facing, 5 MP rear facing), supports 1080p HD video recording [N/A]
• Video playback: 1080p HD Video, H.264, MPEG, DivX, WMV [H.264 video up to 720p; no DivX/WMV support]
• Audio playback: MP3, AAC, WMA [no WMA support]
• HDMI video output [N/A]
• Wi-Fi - 802.11 a/b/g/n [same]
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR [same]
• Connectors: microHDMI, microUSB, charging contacts [Base station HDMI/USB connection only]
• Open, flexible application platform with support for WebKit/HTML-5, Adobe Flash Player 10.1, Adobe Mobile AIR, Adobe Reader, POSIX, OpenGL, Java [No Flash, Java, Reader, POSIX support]
• Ultra thin and portable:
  o Measures 5.1" x 7.6" x 0.4" (130mm x 193mm x 10mm) [9.56" X 7.47" X 0.5"]
  o Weighs less than a pound (approximately 0.9 lb or 400g) [1.5/1.6 lbs. or 680/730g]
• Additional features and specifications of the BlackBerry PlayBook will be shared on or before the date this product is launched in retail outlets.
• RIM intends to also offer 3G and 4G models in the future.

I haven't seen what they're going to sell for, but there you go.

Any CrackBerry fans out there? Any potential new fans? What do you think about the device? I think it gives enough flexibility over the iPad to entice those who were critical of the iPad's limitations. I'm not sure about the OS though, and whether that will be a limitation (over, say, a Windows-based device). I have no experience with BlackBerry.

Performance-wise? It might put the iPad to shame. I was surprised to see how little RAM the iPad has, especially compared to the PlayBook, and the difference in video playback resolution is a bit interesting to note as well.

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