A notification will be sent to devices, but manual searches are also possible

Feb 21, 2012 18:21 GMT  ·  By

Today, Research In Motion started to deliver a new OS flavor to the owners of its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet PC, namely OS 2.0.

The new OS version will be delivered to users over the air, and they will receive a notification as soon as the software is available for them.

Owners of a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet will be able either to download the new OS flavor immediately, or to postpone the process.

If they choose to download the update, they should know that the PlayBook will have to be rebooted for the new software to be installed. The device will prompt them when the restart is needed.

Those who plan on upgrading their tablets should make sure they saved any files they were working on. Performing a backup of all data on the device is a great idea as well.

They should also make sure that the battery inside the device is fully loaded or that the PlayBook is plugged in, so that it would have enough juice to get through the installation process.

Users who have just purchased the device will be presented with the option to install the new OS version during the initial setup process.

Provided that the said notification did not emerge on the PlayBook, users will also be able to perform a manual search for it.

For that, they will need to touch the Gear icon in the upper right corner, select Software Updates, and then hit Check for Updates. If the update is available, users will have the option to start the Download immediately.

After the installation of PlayBook OS 2.0 has finished, the new customizable home screen will appear, with a new icon dock that can hold up to six apps and games.

There is also a new icon panel included into the mix, offering users the option to create multiple panels and folders so that they can keep applications better organized.

We should also note that the update will not arrive on all devices immediately. RIM will roll-out the new software in stages, so expect it to hit your tablet PC in the coming days/weeks.