Research In Motion has a presence at the Gartner Symposium/ITxpo 2010, which kicked off Oct. 17 in Orlando, Fla.—and placed one of its most anticipated products front-and-center in its booth: the BlackBerry PlayBook, its 7-inch tablet PC. RIM hopes the PlayBook will have the same blockbuster effect on the enterprise as the Apple iPad did on the consumer market. RIM kept the PlayBook inside a glass display, away from curious hands. Nonetheless, passersby had a full look at the tablet’s hardware: 7-inch screen, front- and rear-facing cameras (presumably for video conferencing) and a slim form-factor. RIM claims a PlayBook screen resolution of 1,024 by 600, and the static image displayed on the booth model certainly seemed very crisp and clear. But until the PlayBook reaches its as-yet-unspecified release date, it remains to be seen whether the features touted by RIM during the device’s Sept. 21 unveiling—including the ability to sync information with users' BlackBerrys, and the supposedly "user-friendly" operating system based on QNX technology—prove worthy enough for customers to choose one of these over a Samsung Galaxy Tab or an Apple iPad.
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RIM BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet Spied at Gartner Conference
by Nicholas Kolakowski
Spied in the Wild
The PlayBook made its appearance—behind glass—at Research In Motion’s booth. No, the pretty on-screen picture didn’t move or change. The 7-inch tablet relies on a proprietary operating system built on QNX technology.
Enterprise Device
Unlike other tablet manufacturers, which are primarily aiming their wares at the consumer market, RIM is angling the 0.9-pound PlayBook as an enterprise device.
Dual Cameras
The PlayBook features two embedded cameras: a 3-megapixel lens in front, paired with a 5-megapixel one in the rear. The rear camera—which is shown here—evidently sits at the top-center of the tablet.
High Resolution
The PlayBook’s 7-inch screen will feature 1,024 by 600 resolution, compared with the iPad’s 9.7-inch screen and 1,024 by 768 resolution.
Admin Needed?
In RIM’s booth at the Gartner conference, one of the two PlayBooks began to display this screen—it seemed like some sort of setup dashboard. The inability to actually touch the device, however, made it hard to tell.
Connectivity
The PlayBook will reportedly offer a 3G connection via an existing BlackBerry service plan. The iPad offers an "a la carte" connectivity model, with customers able to activate their 3G connection on a monthly basis, while other tablets may require signing a two-year data plan with a provider.
BlackBerry Enhancement
RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis has reportedly claimed that the PlayBook will "amplify" his company’s BlackBerry smartphones. The tablet will sync information with a user’s BlackBerry.
Cameras
RIM has also played up its tablet’s ability to video conference, courtesy of those rear- and front-facing cameras. Some competing tablets will also offer that capability, while many pundits and analysts expect Apple to adopt it with the next version of the iPad.
Multitasking and Flash
The PlayBook will reportedly support Adobe Flash and HTML5, multitasking and high-definition video.
No Release Date or Price Yet
RIM has not offered a firm price point or release date for the PlayBook. Company representatives at the Gartner conference also stayed quiet about those details.
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Research In Motion has a presence at the Gartner Symposium/ITxpo 2010, which kicked off Oct. 17 in Orlando, Fla.—and placed one of its most anticipated products front-and-center in its booth: the BlackBerry PlayBook, its 7-inch tablet PC. RIM hopes the PlayBook will have the same blockbuster effect on the enterprise as the Apple iPad did on the consumer market. RIM kept the PlayBook inside a glass display, away from curious hands. Nonetheless, passersby had a full look at the tablet’s hardware: 7-inch screen, front- and rear-facing cameras (presumably for video conferencing) and a slim form-factor. RIM claims a PlayBook screen resolution of 1,024 by 600, and the static image displayed on the booth model certainly seemed very crisp and clear. But until the PlayBook reaches its as-yet-unspecified release date, it remains to be seen whether the features touted by RIM during the device’s Sept. 21 unveiling—including the ability to sync information with users' BlackBerrys, and the supposedly "user-friendly" operating system based on QNX technology—prove worthy enough for customers to choose one of these over a Samsung Galaxy Tab or an Apple iPad.