I was recently given a 16GB BlackBerry PlayBook to sell for a friend who moved to Japan. He is letting me review it first! Read on for details.
The PlayBook is RIM’s tablet product. It uses a much smaller form factor than the iPad and is really intended to be linked with a BlackBerry phone for the best usability.
Here is how RIM describes the product:
Work smarter. Play harder.
Built to perform, the BlackBerry PlayBook helps transform the way you work and play by combining the features you need with a powerful, ultra-portable design you want. Choose the tablet that does it all — and then some. This is what you’ve been waiting for.
- 7″ 1024×600 WSVGA capacitive LCD touch screen
- Ultra-portable at less than a pound and less than one-half inch thick: 0.9 lbs (425g) and 5.1” x 7.6” x 0.4” (130mm x 194mm x 10mm)
- 1 GHz dual-core processor
- BlackBerry® Tablet OS with support for symmetric multiprocessing
- MP3, AAC and WMA audio playback
- Support for 1080p HD video playback (H.264, MPEG4, WMV)
- HDMI out
- Dual HD cameras for video conferencing and video capture
- 1 GB RAM memory
- Up to 64 GB internal storage (16, 32 and 64 GB models)
- Wi-Fi® (802.11 a/b/g/n) connectivity
- Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR support
Tons of performance
Packed with a blazingly fast 1 GHz dual core processor, a high resolution 7” multi-touch display and up to 10 hours of battery life, the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet can handle even the most demanding of tasks. And with the new BlackBerry® Tablet OS, you get true multitasking and mission critical reliability you can count on.
Uncompromised web
Enjoy the web the way it was meant to be. All the streaming video, games and social networking you’ve come to expect from your desktop computer is packed into an ultra portable tablet. Support for Adobe® Flash 10.2 and HTML5 means you get all the Internet has to offer. Don’t settle for any less.
Multitasking powerhouse
Apps on the BlackBerry PlayBook run simultaneously and in real time. So go ahead and browse the web while you video chat, or fire off a BBM™ while you watch a movie. Multitasking on the BlackBerry PlayBook is the real deal.
Ultra portable. Ultra powerful.
Proof that great things come in small packages, the BlackBerry PlayBook offers uncompromised performance in an ultra portable design. Weighing less than a pound and at less than half an inch thick, it’s designed to go anywhere and everywhere.
Stunning multimedia
Immerse yourself in a best-in-class multimedia experience with rich stereo sound and a crystal clear, high resolution display optimized for HD content. Take your own HD videos, or enjoy movies, music, home videos and even the web in high definition on your HDTV with standard HDMI connections.
Face-to-face video chat
Connect with friends, family and coworkers like you’re there in person. With built-in video chat, you can call another BlackBerry PlayBook with a simple tap. View your caller on the high resolution 7″ display, or output to an HDTV with HDMI to share the conversation with a group. You can even use other apps while you’re on a call.
More apps. More choice.
Discover a whole new world of powerful apps, built and optimized for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. Plus, many of your favorite apps for BlackBerry smartphones and Android® will soon be available. All in BlackBerry App World™.
The perfect pair
BlackBerry® Bridge lets you view the email, BBM™, calendar and address book on your BlackBerry® smartphone on the larger BlackBerry PlayBook display. Check an email while you’re watching a movie, send a picture over BBM or browse your corporate Intranet, all without missing a beat.
No BlackBerry smartphone yet? No problem. You still get all the web, multimedia, gaming, e-reading and multimedia you can handle.
Overall, this is a feature-packed tablet with a nice dual core processor. However, products are more than the list of parts; how does it stack up?
I have been running a Playbook for work evaluation since they were made available in the UK and I agree with all the sentiments in the article. It is a great little device just needing a few more Apps to make it really usable. In use, there are a few gripes in the Bridging with the blackberry device. For example, you can’t seem to trigger a refresh of email from the tablet. This with some other menu options still have to be done from the BB.