BlackBerry PlayBook

AKA: BlackBerry BlackPad, BlackBerry Surfbook

$111 - $490 Compare Prices
7/10
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  • 1024 x 600 display
  • 7 inch display
  • Multi Touch
  • HDMI
  • Wi-Fi
  • Bluetooth
  • Screen Zoom
  • Dock connector
  • GPS
  • View full specs

The BlackBerry PlayBook is RIM's latest foray into the tablet market, going for a practical business look rather than focusing on fun. It comes packed with some of the fastest hardware available in a tablet and features a very sleek and smooth design.

The biggest strength of the PlayBook is its ability to handle corporate and enterprise tasks. It is by far the most complete tablet on the market today if your primary need is for business. The keyboard is slick to use and the touchscreen is responsive. It displays Powerpoint presentations in all their glory and has enhanced security features to keep your sensitive data safe.

BlackBerry did not compromise when choosing hardware for the PlayBook. It features a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and three levels of storage to choose from (16, 32, or 64GB). This leads to an enjoyable experience as apps load nearly instantly and multitasking does not slow the PlayBook down much at all. Battery life is good overall, but not the best. Expect around seven hours between charges compared to ten hours on the iPad 2. Unfortunately, memory management issues come up every now and again and need a reboot to fix them.

The controls on the outside of the device are a low point. The power button is the only way to disable the screen and it is in a rather annoying place and requires too much pressure to activate. The PlayBook is also missing many apps that are available on Apple and Android tablets. If you are buying a tablet for fun and not for business, you might want to look elsewhere.

Need to Know: BlackBerry PlayBook

1. Second to none when it comes to business and enterprise work. RIM has this part of the market well in hand. (The Good)

2. Impressive hardware specs make for an enjoyable user experience. (The Good)

3. Lacks apps that Apple and Android users take for granted. (The Bad)

4. Memory management issues can slow the device to a crawl at times. (The Bad)

Top Videos

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Prices (Where To Buy)

140

BlackBerry Playbook 16GB 7" Wifi Tablet w' Capacitive Touchscreen & Dual Cams from eBay

  • Condition: New
  • Availability: In Stock
  • Contract: No
  • Located In: USA
eBay
140

BlackBerry PlayBook 16GB, Wi-Fi, 7in - Black from eBay

  • Condition: New
  • Availability: In Stock
  • Contract: No
  • Located In: USA
eBay
140

New BlackBerry PlayBook 16GB Wi-Fi 7 inch Black 1 GHz Dual Core Multi Touch LCD from eBay

  • Condition: New
  • Availability: In Stock
  • Contract: No
  • Located In: USA
eBay

Latest Reviews

PC Advisor
A lovely device to hold and use

Martyn Casserly from PC Advisor (about 1 year ago)

8/10

The BlackBerry PlayBook 2.0 is a lovely device to hold and use. It’s small and light enough to carry anywhere, and the display is impressive. If BlackBerry could entice more developers to transfer their apps to the platform then it would be truly excellent. At £169, it’s the definition... More

V3
Good integration with social networks, video chat is restricted to PlayBooks

Chris Martin from V3 (about 1 year ago)

6/10

The much needed software upgrade for the PlayBook tablet does make it a lot better in a number of ways. The three main apps significantly improve the PlayBook and RIM has done a great job of including good features and making them work well.However, we can't bypass the fact that these should have been... More

TabletPCReview
The software update gives the PlayBook a breath of new life

Jamison Cush from TabletPCReview (about 1 year ago)

Without a doubt, every Tablet OS 2.0 change and addition makes the PlayBook a better tablet. The email app and its calendar, contacts and social media integration may have arrived too late for iPad owners to ditch Apple’s tablet for a PlayBook, but the new clients are certainly not too little.... More

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