BlackBerry PlayBook
RIM (Research In Motion) redefined the possibilities for mobile computing with the unveiling of its new professional-grade BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. The tablet will utilize an OS created by the recently acquired QNX, called the BlackBerry Tablet OS which will offer full OpenGL and POSIX support alongside web standards such as HTML5, which is all tied into RIM’s new WebWorks SDK.
With less than half an inch thick and weighing less than a pound, the BlackBerry PlayBook features a vivid 7-inch high resolution display (1024×600). The PlayBook features a 1GHz Dual-Core CPU and together with the QNX OS the Tablet offers true symmetric multiprocessing. RIM also packs support of support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1 and Adobe Mobile AIR. The PlayBook will arrive with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, with both 3G and 4G versions coming in the future, according to RIM. The PlayBook will also connect to a nearby BlackBerry via Bluetooth for viewing e-mail, calendar, to-do items or contacts, meaning, presumably, that you’ll be able to tap out messages on the PlayBook and send them off from your handheld BlackBerry.
The PlayBook will be capable of 1080p HD video, and comes equipped with an HDMI port as well as a microUSB jack, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, and Bluetooth 2.1. BlackBerry PlayBook will be equipped with a 5-megapixel camera in the back, and a 3MP lens in front, both capable of recording HD video.
The BlackBerry PlayBook is expected to be available in retail outlets and other channels in the United States in early 2011 with rollouts in other international markets beginning in Q2. This means they miss the crucial holiday shopping season.
Key features and specifications of the BlackBerry PlayBook include:
- 7-inch LCD, 1024 x 600, WSVGA, capacitive touch screen with full multi-touch and gesture support
- BlackBerry Tablet OS with support for symmetric multiprocessing
- 1 GHz dual-core processor
- 1 GB RAM
- Dual HD cameras (3 MP front facing, 5 MP rear facing), supports 1080p HD video recording
- Video playback: 1080p HD Video, H.264, MPEG, DivX, WMV
- Audio playback: MP3, AAC, WMA
- HDMI video output
- Wi-Fi – 802.11 a/b/g/n
- Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
- Connectors: microHDMI, microUSB, charging contacts
- Open, flexible application platform with support for WebKit/HTML-5, Adobe Flash Player 10.1, Adobe Mobile AIR, Adobe Reader, POSIX, OpenGL, Java
- Ultra thin and portable:
- Measures 5.1″x7.6″x0.4″ (130mm x 193mm x 10mm)
- Weighs less than a pound (approximately 0.9 lb or 400g)
- RIM intends to also offer 3G and 4G models in the future.
BlackBerry PlayBook
