If It Prints, I'll Let You Know

Another device is set join the Apple iPad and the Samsung Galaxy Tab in the tablet market pretty soon. Research In Motion has unveiled the device that they hope will give them a slice of the tablet market: the Playbook.

Playbook will be equipped with a 7-inch multi-touch screen, and will run on a new operating system derived from the acquisition of QNX. The device will offer something that the Apple iPad does not have, something that is practically a must for any new entry into any market: it can run Adobe Flash. It also offers micro-HDMI and micro-usb ports.

The Playbook weighs only 400 grams, and is equipped with dual HD cameras for video calling. Initially, the device will connect to the web through Wi-Fi, or through a user’s BlackBerry. 3G and 4G models, however, are also planned for the future. It is expected to come in 16GB and 32GB models.

Mike Lazardis, chief executive for BlackBerry, and Dan Dodge, RIM founder, were present at the launch. Dodge shared: “QNX is going to enable things that you have never seen before,” adding that it will become “an incredible gaming platform for publishers and the players.” Lazardis touted the Playbook as the “first professional tablet.”

Lazardis also shared that the Playbook will offer “true multi-tasking” and “an amplified view of what’s already on your BlackBerry.” No announcement has been made regarding pricing, or when it will be released, although buzz is that it may be released early next year.