Research in Motion (RIM) finally revealed its new tablet PC today. The new PC is called the Playbook. This is Rim’s challenge to Apple for supremacy in the tablet PC market. The Playbook will be available for sale early next year. The publisher has given the world a sneak peek at its new device today.
Let’s see how the Playbook stacks up against the iPad.
Blackberry Playbook Apple iPad
7-inch LCD, 1024 x 600, WSVGA 9.7-inch LED 1024 x 768
BlackBerry Tablet OS iOS operating system
1 GHz dual-core processor 1 GHz Apple A4 processor
1 GB RAM 256 MB RAM
Dual HD cameras, 1080p HD video recording No Camera
Wi-Fi – 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi – 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
Measures: 5.1″x7.6″x0.4″ 9.56”x7.47”x0.5”
Weight: 0.9 lb 1.6 lbs
The biggest advantage for RIM is that the device has more RAM and offers video recording capabilities. The lack of a camera is one of the biggest complaints facing the iPad. The Playbook is also smaller and weighs less which makes it more convenient for travel. RIM is hoping to attract the hardcore gaming crowd.
The Playbook appears to be a nice offering from Research in Motion and may have been a viable threat if he had been introduced over a year ago. However, Apple has already sold millions of iPad around the world. As other companies have learned, you never want to follow Apple into the marketplace. Right now Research in Motion’s effort appears to be too little, too late.
