BlackBerry PlayBook: a First Look

Research in Motion (RIM) gave attendees at the Gartner Symposium/IT Expo 2010 a first look at its new 7-inch PlayBook tablet. 

RIM hopes the PlayBook will have the same blockbuster effect on the enterprise as the Apple iPad did on the consumer market. RIM kept the device inside a glass display, away from curious hands. Nonetheless, passersby had a full look at the tablet's hardware: 7-inch screen, front- and rear-facing cameras (presumably for video conferencing) and a slim form-factor.

RIM claims a PlayBook screen resolution of 1,024 by 600, and the static image displayed on the booth model certainly seemed very crisp and clear. The PlayBook does not yet have a specified release date or firm price.  It remains to be seen whether the features touted by RIM during the device's Sept. 21 unveiling--including the ability to sync information with users' BlackBerrys, and the supposedly "user-friendly" operating system based on QNX technology--will prove worthy enough for customers to choose one of these over a Samsung Galaxy Tab or an Apple iPad.

For more, including images of the device, view the eWeek slideshow RIM BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet Spied at Gartner Conference.