At a recent UK event showing off the BlackBerry PlayBook, a RIM representative, Steven Bates, reiterated their plans to launch to launch in the U.S. by the end of the month, even though we’ve heard rumours that it wouldn’t be in stores until April 10. The UK is said to be “one of the early ones” among Europeans set to get the PlayBook in Q2.
The BlackBerry PlayBook has a dual-core 1 GHz processor from Texas Instruments, 1 GB of RAM, a 7-inch 1024 x 600 display, Wi-Fi, GPS, 3G via Bluetooth tethering, two HD-capable cameras (3 megapixels and 5 megapixels), and a new QNX-based operating system that’s built for graphics, multitasking, and stability. We’ve got some hands-on video with the tablet right over here if you want a closer look.
The BlackBerry PlayBook’s release date is a pretty big deal since the iPad 2 is launching in a week and the Motorola Xoom is already out; RIM needs to follow-up as quickly as possible before fickle and impatient tablet buyers just go with what’s available. Even the loyal BlackBerry fans are fed up waiting for the tablet for six months, and the alternatives may start looking more palatable. We’re expecting pricing among all the tablet players to be roughly in the same ballpark, but take a look at our comparison chart to see which will offer the most bang for buck.
[via Pocket-Lint]