The good: RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook is a fast, powerful 7-inch tablet with HDMI output, advanced multitasking and security, and a browser that integrates Adobe Flash 10.2 for a desktop-style Web experience.
The bad: The 7-inch screen cramps the powerful browser, the wake button is almost impossible to push, and some stalwart features are only available when pairing a BlackBerry phone.
The bottom line: The BlackBerry PlayBook ably showcases RIM's powerful new mobile operating system, but its middling size diminishes many of its best features.
BlackBerry PlayBook
If you thought the tablet wars were just between Apple and Google, think again. Research In Motion may be late to the fight, but it is fighting for its life, and the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet demonstrates that the company means business.
Like the Apple iPad, the PlayBook is available for as low as $499 (16GB), or as much as $599 (32GB) and $699 (64GB) if you need the extra capacity. For now, the tablet is restricted to Wi-Fi (though Bluetooth tethering is possible), with 4G models planned for later in the year.
Is it an iPad killer? For existing corporate and consumer BlackBerry devotees, the answer is certainly yes. For the rest of you, probably not. With its unapologetically small 7-inch screen, we're not even sure RIM intends it to compete directly with the iPad. More importantly, the PlayBook and its souped-up operating system point the way forward for RIM and the future of the BlackBerry brand.
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