Research in Motion executives came out in force Thursday evening in New York, playing hosts at the industry launch of the PlayBook tablet in an effort to convince market watchers and potential users that the device is a serious contender in an arena dominated by Apple’s iPad.
But the PlayBook, due to go on sale 19 April in the States, faces an uphill battle. Even though some early reviews have praised the user interface, based on software acquired when RIM bought QNX, a maker of operating systems for mobile devices.
The tablet sports a 1GHz dual-core processor, two high-resolution cameras and micro-HDMI output. It’s priced at $500 for a version with 16Gb of storage, $600 for a 32Gb version, and $700 for 64Gb model.
On the software side, many early reviewers have cited a litany of shortcomings, the most egregious of which may be a lack of a native e-mail app.
The device weighs just under a pound and has a 7″ screen, significantly small than an iPad screen. That, however, is one of the main selling points for Co-CEO Mike Lazaridis.
“I just love its form factor,” Lazaridis said. “It’s so light I can put it in my pocket …. it’s just the right size for me.”
The PlayBook lacks what many users would consider basic features such as a built-in calendar, contacts database, and chat application.
When the device goes on sale, there will be about 3,000 third-party apps available, compared to the 65,000 on the App Store for the iPad.
“The PlayBook is a race car that’s missing a wheel,” said Sarah Rotman Epps, an analyst with Forrester Research. “This is a very, very powerful platform, a very, very powerful device and it’s a good proof point for the future of RIM … but it’s missing some key components for consumers. It’s missing a native e-mail client and Forrester’s data shows that the number one things consumers do on tablets is e-mail,” said Epps, who attended the launch party.
Support for Flash may even things out a bit with the iPad, she added.
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