History
Rumors about the forthcoming computer, nicknamed the 'BlackPad' in the press because of its expected similarity to Apple's competing iPad, had circulated for several months before the announcement.[7][8] Research In Motion co-CEO Mike Lazaridis and Adobe Systems CTO Kevin Lynch staged the first public demonstration of the PlayBook on October 25, 2010,[9] onstage at the opening-day keynote of the Adobe MAX 2010 conference.Among the features demonstrated was its tight integration with and support for Adobe AIR applications and full Flash support. According to Lazaridis, "We're not trying to dumb down the internet for a mobile device. What we've done is bring up mobile devices to the level of desktop computers". Lazaridis then announced at the end of his presentation that developers who get Adobe AIR applications approved on the BlackBerry App World would be eligible for free BlackBerry PlayBook tablets.[10] Since then, the free PlayBook offer has been extended to include WebWorks applications.
Features
The BlackBerry PlayBook supports up to 1080p video playback. PlayBook Features a 3 MP front-facing camera for video chatting over Wi-Fi and a rear-facing 5 MP camera, both of which can record 1080p video.[11] The PlayBook has a 1024×600 WSVGA, 7-inch display and 3D graphics acceleration. It features a variety of sensors, including an InvenSense 6-axis gyroscope, magnetometer, and accelerometer. The PlayBook uses the dual-core Texas Instruments OMAP4430 Processor.[12] The BlackBerry PlayBook supports high resolution video playback (H.264, MPEG4, WMV), and audio (MP3, AAC 5.1, WMA 5.1 audio playback) formats. It also has a micro-HDMI port for HDMI video output. Among the PlayBook, Apple iPad, and Xoom from Motorola, the PlayBook comes in lightest at 0.9 pounds (0.41 kg), compared to 1.33 pounds (0.60 kg) and 1.59 pounds (0.72 kg), respectively.An HSPA+ capable BlackBerry Playbook has been known to be in company plans at least since January 2012.[13] In March 2012, an HSPA+ capable RIM tablet became visible in the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's website, as was an LTE version.[14] On August 9, the 4G LTE Version of the tablet began selling in Canada.[15]
Release
BlackBerry PlayBook was released in Canada and USA on April 19, 2011; in the UK[16] and the Netherlands on June 16, 2011;[17] and was released in the United Arab Emirates on June 25, 2011.[18] Early reviews for the product have been mixed, praising the PlayBook's fluid UI, Adobe Flash supported webkit-based browser,[19] Flash Video support, fast JavaScript and HTML 5.0 Web page rendering, HDMI output, and multitasking capabilities.It has also been criticized for low pixel density on its display and also for requiring a BlackBerry for its native email and calendar applications, although third party email and calendar applications are supported. The platform also has relatively few native third party applications compared to other platforms. Following the mixed reviews, RIM's Playbook has begun to gain traction and receive better reviews, as the temporary issues are being solved. Walt Mossberg, columnist for The Wall Street Journal, wrote, "I got the strong impression RIM is scrambling to get the product to market."[20] Research In Motion's co-chief executive officer (at the time), Jim Balsillie, countered the criticism by noting that there are more than 60 million BlackBerry smartphones in use that can pair with a PlayBook.[21]
Applications
The PlayBook includes a pre-loaded app offering access to 1,500 films from the National Film Board of Canada.[22][23] Other PlayBook apps include Cocktales and Adobe Connect Mobile.[24] At the initial launch, between 2,000 and 3,000 apps were available from the BlackBerry App World. As of May 1, 2012, there are over 24,700 PlayBook applications available in BlackBerry App World.[25]Android and Java application support
RIM announced on March 24, 2011, that it would expand its application ecosystem for the PlayBook to include BlackBerry Java and Android-based applications. In a press release, RIM stated that developers would be able to simply repackage, code sign, and submit their Android apps into BlackBerry App World, however for the first update, only Android 2.3 applications will be able to run on the PlayBook.[26] These applications became available in the BlackBerry Tablet OS 2.0, released on February 21, 2012. However, Java applications will not be available until a future update.[27]BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0
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This section may be too long to read and navigate comfortably. (October 2012) |
February 21, 2012, was the release date for Playbook OS 2.0.[29] The software update added integrated native email, calendar, and contact apps. It also included visual changes to the operating system, support for a variety of Android applications and also brought three new applications built into the OS: Press Reader, a newspaper reader; News, an RSS reader; and Print To Go, which can be used to send documents from a PC to the PlayBook. BBM (aka BlackBerry Messenger) support was not included with the 2.0 update, although RIM intends to support BBM in a future update. BBM is still supported through the BlackBerry Bridge software, allowing users to continue to have access to it while bridged to their BlackBerry smartphone.
On October 3, 2012, RIM released Playbook OS 2.1 with new features:
New BlackBerry Bridge features: BlackBerry Bridge app for text messages: view, respond to and compose SMS messages on the tablet Wi-Fi transport: BlackBerry Bridge data is automatically routed over Wi-Fi while the paired PlayBook and BlackBerry smartphone are connected to the same access point over a local area network New features for BlackBerry® Runtime for Andriod™ apps: Each Android app will run in its own navigator window Support for apps that require access to the camera hardware Purchase content within Android apps with support for in-app payments Support for portrait views in Messages, Calendar and Contacts apps: changes the view to the critical information on the screen Folder sync and management: specify which folders in an email account using Microsoft® ActiveSync® get synchronized to the tablet IMAP folder support: get full access to mail folders for IMAP accounts added to the tablet In the Print To Go app, deliver content to the PlayBook while on any Wi-Fi network, even if it’s different from the PC you’re printing from Encryption of personal data: enable full device encryption through Options > Security > Encryption OTA (over the air) enrollment with BlackBerry® Mobile Fusion For BlackBerry Mobile Fusion administrators: New security features, including the ability to enable full device encryption and disable development mode for enterprise-connected PlayBook tablets Ability to configure certificate-based authentication for access to work email and PIM via Microsoft ActiveSync Security updates for Adobe® Flash® Player'
Encryption
Because BlackBerry Bridge accesses mail, calendar, and contacts directly from a tethered BlackBerry phone, the PlayBook meets the same encryption standards as the BlackBerry phone. It is the first (and as of September 2012, the only) tablet device to receive FIPS 140-2 certification, which makes it eligible for use by U.S. federal government agencies. In addition the Australian government also approved the use of PlayBook as the only tablet that meets its security standard.[30]Reception and sales
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|||||||||||
| Developer | Research In Motion | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Quanta Computer (on contract) |
||||||||||
| Type | Tablet, media player | ||||||||||
| Release date | April 19, 2011 | ||||||||||
| Operating system | BlackBerry Tablet OS (QNX) | ||||||||||
| Power | 20 Wh (5,400 mAh, 3.7V) | ||||||||||
| CPU | 1 GHz Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 (Cortex-A9 dual-core) | ||||||||||
| Storage capacity | 16, 32, 64 GB Flash | ||||||||||
| Memory | 1 GB RAM | ||||||||||
| Display | 7" LCD display 1024×600 px (WSVGA) 16:9 aspect ratio (1080p HDMI output) |
||||||||||
| Graphics | PowerVR SGX540 | ||||||||||
| Sound | Stereo microphones, loudspeakers | ||||||||||
| Input | Capacitive 4-point multi-touch touchscreen GPS 3-axis accelerometer-gyroscope Magnetometer |
||||||||||
| Camera | 1080p HD video: 5 MP rear, 3 MP front | ||||||||||
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n) (4G LTE) Bluetooth 3.1 Micro-USB Micro-HDMI |
||||||||||
| Online services | 7digital, BlackBerry App World, Rovi Video Store | ||||||||||
| Dimensions | 194 mm (7.6 in) H 130 mm (5.1 in) W 9.7 mm (0.38 in) D |
||||||||||
| Weight | 425 grams (0.94 lb) | ||||||||||
| Website | ca.blackberry.com/playbook-tablet | ||||||||||
|
|
| Developer | Research In Motion |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Quanta Computer (on contract) |
| Type | Tablet, media player |
| Release date | August 9, 2012 |
| Operating system | BlackBerry Tablet OS (QNX) |
| Power | 17,76 Wh (4,800 mAh, 3.7V) |
| CPU | 1.5 GHz Texas Instruments OMAP 4460 (Cortex-A9 dual-core) |
| Storage capacity | 32 GB Flash |
| Memory | 1 GB RAM |
| Display | 7" LCD display 1024×600 px (WSVGA) 16:9 aspect ratio (1080p HDMI output) |
| Graphics | PowerVR SGX540 |
| Sound | Stereo microphones, loudspeakers |
| Input | Capacitive 4-point multi-touch touchscreen GPS 3-axis accelerometer-gyroscope Magnetometer |
| Camera | 1080p HD video: 5 MP rear, 3 MP front |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n) (4G LTE) Bluetooth 3.1 Micro-USB Micro-HDMI (NFC installed but deactivated) |
| Online services | 7digital, BlackBerry App World, Rovi Video Store |
| Dimensions | 194 mm (7.6 in) H 130 mm (5.1 in) W 9.7 mm (0.38 in) D |
| Weight | 405 grams (0.89 lb) |
| Website | ca.blackberry.com/playbook-tablet |
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