Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Mobile
    • Networking
    • PC Hardware

    RIM PlayBook Priced for Apple iPad Head-to-Head

    By
    Nicholas Kolakowski
    -
    March 23, 2011
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      ORLANDO, Fla.-Research In Motion has spent the past few months ramping up its 7-inch PlayBook tablet for its big debut-all while keeping two particularly vital bits of information, the release date and pricing scheme, under wraps.

      Now, as other manufacturers use this week’s CTIA conference to unveil their own entries into the tablet market, RIM has decided to reveal that information at last: the PlayBook will hit store shelves April 19, in the United States and Canada, with a starting price of $499 for the 16GB model. The 32GB model will retail for $599, and the 64GB for $699.

      That places the PlayBook in roughly the middle ground, pricing-wise, of the red-hot-but-still-nascent tablet market. It may also be a wise move on RIM’s part: the Motorola Xoom, a powerful 10.1-inch tablet with dual-core processors and the tablet-optimized Google Android 3.0 (codenamed Honeycomb), has received early criticism for costing $799 unlocked. (Those willing to pony up for a two-year contract, at $20 per month, can pay $599 for the device.)

      Indeed, the PlayBook’s pricing scheme places it toe-to-toe against Apple’s iPad 2, whose 16GB version retails for $499, 32GB for $599 and 64GB for $699.

      Unlike the swarm of Android-based tablets hitting the market, the PlayBook relies on a proprietary operating system developed in-house by RIM, using assets acquired during the April 2010 takeover of QNX Software systems.

      With its dual-core processor and features such as multitasking, the PlayBook is targeted not only at consumers, but also BlackBerry’s traditional business audience. During a handful of meetings with eWEEK throughout January, RIM executives suggested they were still tweaking the tablet’s software for better battery life, while insisting that it would eventually provide “a full day’s work” on a single charge.

      In a bid to further appeal to that audience, RIM recently signed an agreement with Microsoft that will give the PlayBook the ability to port and display Office 365 data from any user’s BlackBerry, via a tethering service called BlackBerry Bridge. Office 365’s cloud-based subscription model allows organizations to stay up-to-date with the latest versions of Microsoft Office, SharePoint Online, Exchange Online and Lync Online. Also as part of that agreement, RIM’s BlackBerry Enterprise will apparently connect “cloud to cloud” with Microsoft’s data centers to host Office 365 data on users’ BlackBerrys.

      Nicholas Kolakowski
      Nicholas Kolakowski is a staff editor at eWEEK, covering Microsoft and other companies in the enterprise space, as well as evolving technology such as tablet PCs. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, Playboy, WebMD, AARP the Magazine, AutoWeek, Washington City Paper, Trader Monthly, and Private Air. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×