CES 2011 Live: BlackBerry PlayBook Images And Hands-On

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At a very crowded CES RIM booth, I got my hands on the BlackBerry PlayBook. Well, sort of. RIM had all the devices welded to the counter. You could consider it a security precaution, but considering all the RIM folks standing around like the US Secret Service, you’d think they’d let us pick it up and have a true ‘hands on’ play.

First, you know the specs – 1GHz dual-core processor, 7-inch display, and a thickness of 0.9-inches. It feels a bit thicker than the iPad, second-generation Archos Android tablets and Galaxy Tab. They say it weighs under a pound, but who knows with them having bolted the devices to the table.

It’s running the new QNX software, which is from the company QNX that RIM purchased awhile back. I thought that they may change the name, but the RIM rep told me that they’ll be keeping the name the same. Regarding apps, BlackBerry apps from the AppWorld will work on the PlayBook. Granted, it’s not an as extensive library as the Android Market or iTunes App Store – but if you’re a BB loyalist who had a specific app they need to use – this is a godsend.

I found performance of the device really impressive. They had several 3D rendering apps going and the performance of the device was great. It’s also capable of 1080p HD, too as they were playing HD video off the device memory and from YouTube. The PlayBook also does what RIM is calling “true multitasking”. As you can see in some of the images below, it lets you pop in and out of any app and doesn’t freeze anything, except for video (out of courtesy, I imagine).  I think RIM sees this as an advantage over the multi-tasking offered on the iOS and Android.

Overall, I was impressed with PlayBook tablet. It’s a capable device. Of course, the pricing and availability of the device will affect how well it does.

Want to catch up with more of our CES 2011 Hand On postings? You can see an index of all our CES 2011 Hand On posts – each complete with their own gallery – here.