RIM introduces PlayBook – the BlackBerry tablet

Today at Research In Motion’s developer event, Mike Lazaridis introduced the company’s new tablet — the PlayBook. The device will sport a Cortex A9, 1GHz dual-core CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 7-inch display, webOS-like app switching, an e-reader component, full document editing, and pairing with BlackBerry phones. The device will be capable of 1080p HDMI video and will have HDMI and USB ports, a front and rear HD camera configuration, and will be 9.7mm thick. The PlayBook’s interface is based on a platform designed by QNX, just as we’d heard previously, and will be called the BlackBerry Tablet OS. The device will apparently be available in “early 2011,” but there was no mention of a retail price. The PlayBook will have full OpenGL and POSIX support, and RIM seems to have its eye set firmly on capturing a gamer market, stating “This is going to be an incredible gaming platform for publishers and the players.” Lazaridis also called the slate “the first professional tablet,” and “an amplified view of what’s already on your BlackBerry.” The device will connect via Bluetooth to BlackBerry devices, though the content is cached only temporarily on the PlayBook — kind of like the… Foleo. More info is coming our way as we type, and we’ve got a full feature list, press release, and video after the break!

Specifications :

• 7-inch 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)
• RIM intends to also offer 3G and 4G models in the future.