No more DelayBook as BB PlayBook launches June 20

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Wednesday, 08 June 2011 11:14

Your IT - Mobility

RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook is an impressive first-generation tablet from the Canadian smartphone maker, and while its initial introduction has seen some months elapse before local availability, RIM's tablet is now nearly here.

The BlackBerry PlayBook is RIM's answer to the iPad, Google tablets, HP's TouchPad and Windows tablets, running on the QNX operating system that also powers some in-car and industrial computing systems.

With QNX coming from such a strong legacy, RIM's tablet might well be a first-gen hardware device, but its OS is as powerful as that from Apple, Google or anyone else.

I've recently had the chance to have a play with the PlayBook, and while the criticisms of there being no native email or calendaring apps at launch sans a paired BlackBerry smartphone are quite valid, the rest of the BB tablet experience is surprisingly impressive.

Blending a WebOS-like interface and multitasking with a tablet UI that any tablet user would quickly become familiar with, the PlayBook is the perfect accompaniment to modern BlackBerry smartphones, especially if security, and maintaining that security even when using a tablet, is top of mind.

Of course, RIM has promised that native email and calendaring apps are on the way, as are future 3G-equipped versions of the PlayBook, but a Wi-Fi only option is no bad thing - Apple has sold plenty of Wi-Fi only iPads, and there are plenty of Wi-Fi only Google tablets, too.

Aside from promised Android app compatibility, the PlayBook also has excellent Adobe Flash compatibility, again driving a stake through the heart of Apple's anti-Flash stance as it remains the major tablet brand to eschew a native Flash solution.

While RIM has showcased the PlayBook to Australian journalists a month or two ago, has sent units out for review and has started its advertising campaign, we now finally have a date for launch - Monday the 20th of June, 2011, or twelve days from today.

RIM has also managed to get carrier support for the PlayBook, despite only being a Wi-Fi device, but this is clearly due to the fact the PlayBook pairs to an existing BlackBerry smartphone for its 3G connectivity and secure mail and calendaring.

Those carriers are Telstra, Vodafone and Optus, as well as retail behemoth Harvey Norman, with all four players set to offer the Wi-Fi PlayBook in 16, 32 or 64GB models.

So, what is the price, and what does RIM have to locally say about its launch?

Please read on to page two!