14 DAY TRIAL // On Monday, Canadian mobile phone maker Research In Motion went official with its own tablet PC, the professional-grade BlackBerry PlayBook, complemented by a new operating system, called BlackBerry Tablet OS.
The new device should prove a great option for a wide range of users, as it can deliver enhanced features like web browsing, true multitasking and high performance multimedia, in addition to a series of advanced security features and out-of-the-box enterprise support.
On top of that, the new slate comes with a development platform that meets the needs of IT departments and developers.
“RIM set out to engineer the best professional-grade tablet in the industry with cutting-edge hardware features and one of the world's most robust and flexible operating systems,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion.
“The BlackBerry PlayBook solidly hits the mark with industry leading power, true multitasking, uncompromised web browsing and high performance multimedia.”
The specifications list of the new device includes a 7” LCD capacitive touch screen with full multi-touch and gesture support, able to boast a WSVGA (1024 x 600 pixel) resolution.
The slate is powered by a 1 GHz dual-core processor, complemented by 1 GB of RAM, dual HD cameras (3 MP front facing, 5 MP rear facing) with 1080p HD video recording capabilities, and support for 1080p HD Video playback.
On the connectivity side, the new tablet PC sports Wi-Fi - 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, HDMI video output, microHDMI, microUSB, and charging contacts.
Other features the new slate comes with include: • Video playback: 1080p HD Video, H.264, MPEG, DivX, WMV • Audio playback: MP3, AAC, WMA • 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)
Other specs and features of the new tablet PC are set to be unveiled as the release date approaches. According to RIM, we should expect for both 3G and 4G models to be released on the market.
The BlackBerry PlayBook should land on shelves in the United States in early 2011, while other markets will receive it starting with the second quarter of the next year.
The BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK should be released in a few weeks for early access.
