Blackberry Playbook....

It's certainly an interesting one.

From the live blogs it sounded very business oriented but looking at the video, and the PlayBook website I'm not so sure. The website even opens with a picture of a game running on the thing.

6AFX


The specs certainly whet the appetite too - 1Ghz dual-core CPU, 1GB of RAM etc. It should shift, though I don't know what model CPU is in there.

Launch date of early 2011 is interesting too. Round about then we should be hearing about the next iPad and I suspect they'll be keeping an eye on the PlayBook over at Cupertino.

Either way, competition is good!
 
I like the full support for HTML 5 and Flash for uncompromised browsing. Also tethering to my BB 9105 would be nice as well. This looks very goog, Mr Jobs will be watching carefully but they have the Ipad out there in the shops and it has a good following.

The Tablet market could get very crowded, so I think BB will go for the high end professional market, and leave the 'value' area to the Android tablets.
 
Looks awesome! I really hope the software is as good as those specs.
That Marvell (?) duel core A9 cortex should fly!

2011 is going to be a good year :)
 
I'll be getting one asap..forget the ipad as i think this will rock...been hearing rumours about it from my brother who told me...dont even bother with the ipad...this thing is going to truly rock...saying that he will most probably have a pre-development model to test and play with.

Specs:

Key features and specifications of the BlackBerry PlayBook include:

•7" 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)
•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.

Positively drooling at the prospect of this being released very soon.
 
I still think a 7" screen is too small. To much in between a smart phone and well an iPad

I have to stay it sounds appealing (i own a iPad) But once again its not something I would ever think of buying really..
 
Great specs, but as usual everyone is overlooking the lack of battery life mentions full stop. Secondly no 3G is just full of fail in my eyes, obviously this thing is to be used within businesses but I'd still like the feature there. Thirdly, the OS and it's SDK will make or break the device. The iPad excels for both and the SDK attributes to it's success, has anything been mentioned for the PB OS?
 
Great specs, but as usual everyone is overlooking the lack of battery life mentions full stop.

The device isn't due out until early 2011. I doubt even RIM knows how long the battery life will last yet. Software can have a surprisingly large effect on battery life and if the software isn't finalised then it would be wrong for RIM to pull a number out of the air now.

Secondly no 3G is just full of fail in my eyes, obviously this thing is to be used within businesses but I'd still like the feature there.

It supports tethering with a BB though. I'm sure a lot of iPad owners wished that their device could tether with an iPhone officially.

has anything been mentioned for the PB OS?

The Register has a piece on it.

But I agree with most people. 7" is too small. The iPad's screen looks twice the size in comparison shots.
 
I'll be getting one asap..forget the ipad as i think this will rock...been hearing rumours about it from my brother who told me...dont even bother with the ipad...this thing is going to truly rock...saying that he will most probably have a pre-development model to test and play with.

Positively drooling at the prospect of this being released very soon.

Haha, how predictable and congrats to your brother :p

Been using the Samsung galaxy pad the other day and 7" isn’t so bad to be honest. Anything bigger is just too big to carry around. This looks like a great office device, easily carried around to meetings etc but I doubt it will be that great at anything else.

I doubt the OS will be competitive with iOS, Android or even Windows7 and since there is no real App market for this thing it will probably fail for personal and home use.

Lets hope RIM can prove me wrong :)
 
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Been using the Samsung galaxy pad the other day and 7" isn’t so bad to be honest. Anything bigger is just too big to carry around. This looks like a great office device, easily carried around to meetings etc but I doubt it will be that great at anything else.

Totally agree, 10" is way too big to pop in a jacket pocket/handbag. It seems around 7" is the best compromise and chances are you'll be hooking it up to a huge HD TV/Monitor at work. (Although I'm sure RIM will make larger versions in the future, for briefcase owners... :D)

It supports tethering with a BB though. I'm sure a lot of iPad owners wished that their device could tether with an iPhone officially.

Exactly, having 2 BB contracts is pointless. (I'm assuming you won't be able to use the email/internet functions on a non BB contract sim)

If your looking for a tablet to use at home get a 10"+ Apple or Android device.
 
7" is too small. The iPad's screen looks twice the size in comparison shots.

It really isn't. It's the perfect compromise in size. This device will facilitate far better video play back than the iPhone (in terms of viewable screen area), without the bulk of the iPad. Ultimately it's going to be used by a lot of people making the commute into Canary Wharf and other business centres to pass time.

I like it, and as long as the reviews are good when it's with consumers, then I'll buy one.
 
Not keen on the name... it's too American Football!

Also, it seems like the iPad that it's a device that can be used to do anything, so that's why it confuses me that they are touting it as being more business like than the iPad. Presumably it's just the marketing that Blackberry have always used, through convincing people that Blackberry is a 'business phone', so you need one to look serious.
 
Great specs, but as usual everyone is overlooking the lack of battery life mentions full stop. Secondly no 3G is just full of fail in my eyes, obviously this thing is to be used within businesses but I'd still like the feature there. Thirdly, the OS and it's SDK will make or break the device. The iPad excels for both and the SDK attributes to it's success, has anything been mentioned for the PB OS?

There will be a 3G version along with a 4G version...it would be stupid of them to not have at least a 3G version.

http://crackberry.com/blackberry-playbook-announced

Personally it wont stop me buying one as i can make do with a WIFI only version but depending on the prices ill probably get the 3G version

Given you know nothing about the O/S or how it compares, I find your uneducated comments more than a little premature...


Well from what i know, its an OS from a company called QNX that RIM bought back in April of this yr iirc...i dont know much else about it other than its an OS that you can boot up from a 1.44mb floppy disk.

Im looking forward to more info about the playbook and its OS...hopefully wont be too long before i can get my hands on one...hoping early next yr.

Just because you don’t know anything about the OS doesn’t mean I don’t.

Pray do tell what do you know??...seeing as outside RIM employees you would be the first one to know lol...even my brother who works with RIM very closely doesnt have much info on the device yet himself.

He does say that this thing is pretty slick ie thin and 7" inch is just perfect really....the ipad im sorry is just far too big...used my sis in laws ipad that she brought over from Canada and i was not that impressed with it in all fairness.
 
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Pray do tell what do you know??...seeing as outside RIM employees you would be the first one to know lol...even my brother who works with RIM very closely doesnt have much info on the device yet himself.

and it won't be available in the EU until sept 2011, that's a long time for optimisation...

Also, it seems like the iPad that it's a device that can be used to do anything, so that's why it confuses me that they are touting it as being more business like than the iPad.

Assuming your talking about next gen iPads (not the current crippled one) but here's a few...

Full hardware acceleration (all codecs, all up to 1080p, flash)
Hdmi output. (+ duel mode. Output one thing, do something else on the tablet)
USB output.
Bluetooth BB phone sync. (sync everything from your phone, emails etc.)
Full multitasking.
 
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