BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet Launching Today

The BlackBerry PlayBook has just started hitting store shelves. This is RIM's first foray into the tablet market after being one of the top smartphone makers for many years.

The PlayBook has a 7-inch (1024 x 600) screen, making it smaller than the Apple iPad 2 and Motorola Xoom, but about the same size as the Samsung Galaxy Tab. 

It runs the new BlackBerry Tablet OS on a 1GHz dual-core processor, and has 1GB of RAM. Its operating system is based on QNX, allows the device to run multiple apps simultaneously, and sports a newly-designed user interface.

The PlayBook not only supports Wi-Fi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth, but is also able to tether to a BlackBerry phone via Bluetooth for a data connection. While connected, this tablet is able to view the email, BBM, calendar, tasks, documents and other content from the smartphone on its large screen.

RIM describes the PlayBook as a "professional tablet" that is "enterprise ready", comes with a powerful web browser, and apps for working with Microsoft Office files. However, it offers some lighter features too, including music and video players, the same as what come bundled with a game.

It is available in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB versions, and with prices ranging from $500 to $700.  

A review of this tablet can be found on Brighthand's sister site, TabletPCReview:

BlackBerry PlayBook Review