So from the outset, it must be said that the software on the PlayBook isn't fully finished. While the hardware appears to have been good to go for a while now, we've already seen tons of changes happen on the software side since the device was first announced and we know more are coming still. And it's clear that RIM has really been hustling to pull things together for the PlayBook's first game on April 19th. The BlackBerry PlayBook is the first product from what I like to think of as the new RIM team. But turning great players into a winning team doesn't typically happen overnight - teams need time to gel, they need practice, they need coaching and they need some experience in real games to see what's working and fix what's not. If you look at RIM's long list of recent acquisitions (there are more than just the ones mentioned above - Dash Mobile, Viigo, Gist, etc.), it appears that RIM has bought the players needed to have a winning team, stacking their roster with some real superstars. Dataviz - While RIM didn't buy DataViz outright, they bought a lot of their talent and assets including Documents To Go, which allows for Word, Excel, Powerpoint creation and editing (the premium version of these apps are included free on the PlayBook).The Astonishing Tribe - Creative geniuses and UI experts who, while arriving a little late on the PlayBook project, helped shape some of the aspects of the user experience and will play a much larger role in this moving ahead (a company called Teknision is responsible for a lot of the user interface design on the PlayBook).Torch Mobile - WebKit browser gurus who fixed up BlackBerry's traditionally poor web browsing experience.QNX - makers of the powerful MicroKernal QNX Neutrino operating system upon which the BlackBerry Tablet OS is built.Some of the acquisitions relevant to the BlackBerry PlayBook include: Over the past few years RIM has been building up its team, acquiring the players it needs to fix their historic weaknesses and "future proof" the company (a term RIM's Co-CEO Jim Balsillie used on their last Earnings Call). Not wanting to lose control of their destiny and be regulated to an Android hardware manufacturer trying to differentiate itself from other Android hardware manufacturers, RIM made the decision to play the game on their own terms. For companies like Motorola, HTC, Samsung and LG, Google's Android operating system has been the life-saving fresh start that has allowed them to compete against Apple's iOS. While much improvement has come to BlackBerry Smartphones over the years and the upcoming BlackBerry 6.1 OS looks to push things even farther, the traditional BlackBerry OS on phones is hitting a point of maturity where RIM's only option is to start with something new. Research In Motion is going through a major transition right now. Intro - Getting Ready to Play Ball With the PlayBook Overall BlackBerry Tablet OS Impressions.BlackBerry App World, 3rd Party Apps, and Apps on Android.BlackBerry Bridge and Native Email, PIM, and BBM.Homescreen Experience, Gesture-Based Navigation & UI.Bluetooth Fun: Controlling the PlayBook w/ Mouse and Keyboard.Touchscreen Display and HD Aspect Ratio.BlackBerry PlayBook Hardware Impressions. ![]() BlackBerry PlayBook Key Features & Specifications.BlackBerry PlayBook Review Unit Unboxing Video.Intro - Getting Ready to Play Ball With the PlayBook.Does the PlayBook have what it takes to crank out a homerun? Read our full review to find out! RIM hopes to leverage their success in smartphones and emerge as a major competitor in the tablet game when it steps up to the plate. But pre-release hype is one thing and real-world performance is another. Heck, it even won the first ever Tablet World Series before it was ever released. With solid hardware specs, an operating system that utilizes a gesture-based user interface to deliver true multitasking capabilities and a web browser that supports Adobe Flash, on paper the PlayBook appears to have the raw talent to be a contender. With the addition of the BlackBerry PlayBook 2.0 Software released on Febru- the PlayBook gained native email, calendar and contacts, the ability to run Android applications and much more. It featured the all-new BlackBerry Tablet OS, the PlayBook sports a 7" display that makes this tablet more portable for everyday use than Apple's iPad. Officially announced in September of last year, the long-awaited BlackBerry PlayBook was released on April 19th 2011, with a starting price of $499.
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