By: Aseem Gaurav, March 23, 2011 (New Delhi)
Analysts are predicting that Apple’s second-generation tablet, the iPad 2, will keep on dominating the market, thanks to its attracting price tag, countless apps and striking hardware specifications, but the competition is about to get stiffer.
Research In Motion (RIM), the maker of the popular Blackberry line of smartphones, has said its long-awaited BlackBerry PlayBook tablet will go on sale from April 19 at 20,000 retail outlets in the US and Canada at a starting price of $499.
RIM's PlayBook will be available in all Best Buy stores and Best Buy Mobile stores in the US and at Best Buy and Future Shop stores in Canada. RIM said it would let customers place orders for the new tablet immediately.
The BlackBerry PlayBook with Wi-Fi will come in 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB versions, which will be $499, $599, and $699, respectively. Notably, this mirrors the iPad 2's pricing exactly, at least for the Wi-Fi-only models.
As per the specifications, the PlayBook runs on the QNX platform, which allows for robust multitasking. It also has a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, Micro-HDMI output, 1080p video playback, a 5-megapixel camera on the back, and a 3-megapixel camera on the front. The display measures only 7 inches diagonally.
Many of the features provides in Playbook gives it parity with the iPad 2, and in some cases put it slightly ahead, but it would be interesting to see how things play up for RIM’s new tablet as with more new launches the competition is sure to get hot up.
Specifications of PlayBook:
• 7" 1024x600 WSVGA capacitive LCD touch screen
• 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 high resolution video playback (H.264, MPEG4, WMV)
• 1080p HDMI output
• Dual 1080p HD cameras for video conferencing and video capture (3MP front and 5MP rear)
• 1 GB RAM memory
• Up to 64 GB internal storage (16, 32 and 64 GB models)
• GPS, Orientation Sensor (Accelerometer), 6-Axis Motion Sensor (Gyroscope), Digital Compass (Magnetometer)
• Stereo speakers and stereo microphones
• Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n) connectivity
• Bluetooth 2.1+EDR support.
