Canadian handset manufacturer Research In Motion has unveiled its long-awaited tablet device at a developer’s conference in San Francisco, with the gadget designed to take back the enterprise market being eaten away by Apple’s iPad.
The announcement also comes alongside new features designed to attract developers and advertisers, with a new WebWorks app development platform announced, alongside the new BlackBerry Advertising Service.
The announcement also comes as a range of tablet manufacturers including Dell and Samsung prepare to unleash their own devices in order to take down the Apple iPad, which has enjoyed an early market lead.
The PlayBook tablet features a seven-inch screen, is half an inch thick and weighs about 450 grams. RIM is pushing the gadget’s unusual processing power, with the gadget featuring a 1Ghz dual-core processors and a completely new BlackBerry tablet OS that supports micro processing and multitasking.
The PlayBook also features an 1024×600 pixel screen that broadcasts in 1080p, while support for Adobe Flash 10.1 and HTML 5 are also included. There are also dual HD cameras included for video capture and conferencing, and both can actually record HD video at the same time.
There is also an HDMI-out port for external presentations.
RIM is definitely playing to its target market, calling the PlayBook “enterprise-ready”. Current BlackBerry owners can connect their smartphone to the gadget and use the larger display to view any email or document, while that process can also be completed via BlueTooth.
“Perfect for either large organisations or an “army of one”, the BlackBerry PlayBook is designed to give users what they want, including uncompromised web browsing, true multitasking and high performance multimedia, while also providing advanced security features, out-of-the-box enterprise support and a breakthrough development platform for IT departments and developers,” the company said in a statement.
The tablet also features 1GB of RAM, video playback features including MPEG, DivX and H.264m, Wi-Fi and microUSB connectivity. The company plans to offer 3G and 4G models in the future, but right now only the Wi-FI version will be available at launch.
RIM has also emphasised the tablet’s use of apps. Developers are being gifted with the new WebWorks app development platform, which allows designers to create apps that can run on the BlackBerry tablet, along with other BlackBerry smartphones.
But the company is also trying to attract the mainstream crowd as well, saying the Open GL platform will allow 2D and 3D graphics for games. Its advertising online suggests the gadget will have a broader appeal, while still justifying its “enterprise” label.
“The BlackBerry Tablet OS is built upon the QNX Neutrino microkernel architecture, one of the most reliable, secure and robust operating system architectures in the world,” the company said.
“Neutrino has been field hardened for years and is being used to support mission-critical applications in everything from planes, trains and automobiles to medical equipment and the largest core routers that run the internet.”
RIM also announced the new Messenger Social Platform, saying developers will now be able to use the BBM system for sending and receiving messages, profiles and invitations. A totally new advertising service will also allow “simple” and “rich media” advertisements to be distributed within apps.
The gadget is aimed directly at the enterprise market, with RIM saying the PlayBook is compatible with BlackBerry Enterprise Server technology straight out of the box. RIM has been losing ground to Apple due to the growth of the iPhone and iPad.
The PlayBook is slated for an “early 2011” release, with “rollouts in other international markets beginning in calendar Q2”.
“RIM will begin working with developers and select corporate customers next month to begin development and early testing efforts,” the company said. The OS SDK will be released in “the coming weeks”, RIM said, and developers can register on the company’s website.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
