RIM announces BlackBerry tablet - PlayBook

Research in Motion announced their much rumoured BlackBerry tablet device today, the PlayBook.

The device features a 1Ghz dual core processor, 1GB RAM and a 7" screen. The PlayBook will not run on RIM's BlackBerry OS but a new OS made by QNX. It's expected to feature full 1080p HD support and will include a USB and HDMI port. The PlayBook will also feature HTML5 and full Flash 10.1 support says RIM.

Pricing is unknown at the moment but it's likely that enterprise adoption will be key to the success of the PlayBook. The timing is perfect for enterprise customers who are constantly under pressure from their employees to offer support for iPhones and iPads within secure corporate computing. RIM offers a wide range of enterprise management features for their BlackBerry devices so the PlayBook is bound to appeal to CTO's worldwide.

Full specifications:

7" LCD, 1024 x 600, WSVGA, capacitive touch screen with full multi-touch and gesture support
BlackBerry Tablet OS with support for symmetric multiprocessing
1 GHz dual-core processor
1 GB RAM
Dual HD cameras (3 MP front facing, 5 MP rear facing), supports 1080p HD video recording
Video playback: 1080p HD Video, H.264, MPEG, DivX, WMV
Audio playback: MP3, AAC, WMA
HDMI video output
Wi-Fi - 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
Connectors: microHDMI, microUSB, charging contacts
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)
RIM intends to also offer 3G and 4G models in the future

The BlackBerry PlayBook is expected to be available in retail outlets and other channels in the United States in early 2011 with rollouts in other international markets beginning in (calendar) Q2.