BlackBerry maker Research in Motion introduces PlayBook, a new tablet computer
Ontario-based Research in Motion, which revolutionized mobile computing by making business-friendly handhelds ubiquitous, confirmed today that it is diversifying beyond its line of smartphones by introducing a new tablet computer.
It's called the BlackBerry PlayBook, and it will hit stores during the first quarter of 2011, if all goes as planned. The device is much bigger than a smartphone, but smaller than many other tablets currently on the market (it's about half the size of the iPad). The initial model won't have mobile broadband capability built in, but it can access the Internet when there is no Wi-Fi available if it is tethered to a BlackBerry smartphone. (And tethering can be done via Bluetooth!)
Here are the specs:
Research in Motion also announced a new open source platform for developers called WebWorks, which enables developers to build applications for the both the PlayBook and BlackBerry smartphones running OS 6 (like the new PlayBook) in Web languages like HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS3.
I've invested a lot of time learning the aforementioned languages, so WebWorks is welcome news to me and to the rest of the team at NPI.
We may end up developing a WebWorks app or two ourselves at some point in 2011. Specifically, we'd like better tools to assist us with forthcoming research projects we do out in the field. (As advanced as today's laptops are, they're just not suitable for collecting and uploading data while on the go.)
We already use mobile blogging apps for live event coverage, but it's hard to type out a blog post with any depth on a phone. The PlayBook has the potential to help make news gathering and information gathering much easier, serving as a bridge between the notebook and the mobile phone. The prospect of being able to tap out a blog post on the PlayBook and then publish it wirelessly through the BlackBerry phone in my pocket is pretty tantalizing.
And being able to do video editing on the PlayBook would simplify publishing of footage that we shoot with its built-in HD cameras while out and about.
It's called the BlackBerry PlayBook, and it will hit stores during the first quarter of 2011, if all goes as planned. The device is much bigger than a smartphone, but smaller than many other tablets currently on the market (it's about half the size of the iPad). The initial model won't have mobile broadband capability built in, but it can access the Internet when there is no Wi-Fi available if it is tethered to a BlackBerry smartphone. (And tethering can be done via Bluetooth!)
Here are the specs:
- 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)
- Additional features and specifications of the BlackBerry PlayBook will be shared on or before the date this product is launched in retail outlets.
Research in Motion also announced a new open source platform for developers called WebWorks, which enables developers to build applications for the both the PlayBook and BlackBerry smartphones running OS 6 (like the new PlayBook) in Web languages like HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS3.
I've invested a lot of time learning the aforementioned languages, so WebWorks is welcome news to me and to the rest of the team at NPI.
We may end up developing a WebWorks app or two ourselves at some point in 2011. Specifically, we'd like better tools to assist us with forthcoming research projects we do out in the field. (As advanced as today's laptops are, they're just not suitable for collecting and uploading data while on the go.)
We already use mobile blogging apps for live event coverage, but it's hard to type out a blog post with any depth on a phone. The PlayBook has the potential to help make news gathering and information gathering much easier, serving as a bridge between the notebook and the mobile phone. The prospect of being able to tap out a blog post on the PlayBook and then publish it wirelessly through the BlackBerry phone in my pocket is pretty tantalizing.
And being able to do video editing on the PlayBook would simplify publishing of footage that we shoot with its built-in HD cameras while out and about.
# Posted by Andrew : 9:08 PM
Comments:
Post a Comment