RIM have got their work cut out against Apple and Google, as well as HP entering the fray. Thus far they've had no choice but to push the consumer market because a 'business only' device will not stand up to the scrutiny and demands of what everyone would want out of a tablet.

I'm also guessing that the actual business application has come later in the development, rather then earlier.

They're doing their best - there's no doubt about it. I just hope that's enough to carve their niche in the tablet market.

Just a note, but at CES they defined "professional" grade not meaning it's a "business-user only" product - it was a reference to the build quality and components of the hardware. You look at most Android tablets releasing this year and everyone opted for the Tegra 2. Well, after playing with the Xoom and other tablets at CES the funny thing is that they all had performance issues, such as slow down under moderate use, which has also been pointed out in the recent Xoom reviews.

PlayBook opted for Texas Instruments and people were throwing everything at the PlayBook during CES, from videos playing in the background while half a dozen other apps, including OpenGL demos were running and could not get that thing to lag.

I think that's a pretty bold statement of what they mean by "professional grade". It's sort of like General Motors and they say "We are Professional Grade" but they also are referring to build quality and power.

The only dumb risky thing about the PlayBook in my opinion is the fact that you need a BlackBerry to access core features, such as Calendar, Contacts, etc. I'm not sure what "genious" thought of that, but that will be a huge turnoff for many people because I'm sure while RIM probably thinks this will make people buy a BlackBerry, in fact what will happen is that it will just make people buy another tablet.

it was announced in September 2010 and STILL not launched, Ipad2 will be launched tomorrow!! Geeez RIM, move the %$·$ up, Im not all hyped now for the playbook... dammit.

when is the release Date? this waiting game is sick

for those complaining about not having emails/calendar.

playbook has a web-browser right? you can access gmail from said web-browser right?

you can access your contacts through your email right?

done.

well.. i guess it can be argued that you can't access those emails without wifi (for now), but... how often do you need to read old emails?

contacts, i have nothign to say. you need the wifi, but i'm sure someone out there is making "an app for that"

What not quake demo?

No need to pick sides. It's the "BlackBerry PlayBook", the BlackBerry tablet for business that you can play with when the business is done!

Is this thing On? I can't see my comments...

Used an IPad, Used several Android Tabs. I will hold judgment till I have used the Playbook for a couple of weeks. But so far Playbook looks like a good fit for me, but I have a BlackBerry and it is surgically attached.

There is no way this thing is going to be ready for Q1 (which means on shelves by 3/31/2011) unless there's an announcement, like, this week. And even then, we should've had a release date by now, and we should've had answers to all the questions about what this thing actually does as a STANDALONE device. No offense to the CrackBerry gang, but they WANT this thing to succeed so badly, they're glossing some of the obvious things we know nothing about.

I have faith in this operating system and the hardware sounds like it should be relatively future-proof. But they need to get the damn thing out soon, or they're going end up 1-2 years behind the market, where they always seem to be.

On a lighter note...did anyone realize right at the start of that how he swipes the screen to turn it on? Some people were wondering about the unlock/lock gesture for the device aside from the hardkey on top. Just an observation.

A LOT of people are getting tired of waiting and they still are releasing it without at least a calendar APP.... email is another thing.. but a Calendar is fundamental to anyone and everyone... Professional or not.. BB user or not.. Everyone needs a calendar :) I understand they`ll be ``possibly`` getting one in a software Update but I personally think its something that should be there since the ``concept`` stage of the OS... just making a point here :D

I think RIM is playing this smart. They are keeping the public informed of progress, making their tablet android app friendly to fill the consumer market for mobile apps, while being able to provide a more secure operating system for the business side to develop their own business applications.
This will be the first RIM product that I will go out opening day or pre-order.

Rim needs to shut up and ship something!!

I'm tired of these videos. I wanted to buy the playbook after the first video I saw. Just give us a release date already, it's getting ridiculous.

They may just release it on the 31st of March and say "See?! we've released it on Q1!"

I would be disappointed.

I had the chance to play with it for an hour not too long ago. As a business user I was pleased but I was still left with some questions that couldn't be immediately answered. It will take some time to figure out it's business uses apart from the presentation ability, expanded calendar and mail features (big win for "older" executives). Being only 7 inches though I don't see it as something I would share with clients (that will have to wait until the 10" later this year/early next). The few thousand apps at launch is comforting and NFC on the cellular versions. Can't wait for the launch at end of month - well a few weeks later here in the North ;)

Having the PlayBook "tethered" to the BlackBerry is anything but dumb.

It's actually exactly what most major enterprises will buy.

The last thing the CIO needs is another 10,000 phone bills every month. That cost would explode IT budgets at many companies and is a marketing negative for tablets that don't have a Wi-Fi only option.

Seriously, the fact the PlayBook is tetherable to a BlackBerry is a huge selling point. And certainly not a drawback. Especially since no sensitive data is left on the PlayBook once the BlackBerry bridge is broken (unless the user saves the data somehow).

Even as a consumer there's no way I'd buy a PlayBook if I also had to get another account from a carrier. Generally I get great download speeds from my current carrier and have never exhausted the "unlimited" downloads. I always carry my BlackBerry, so I'll save a few bucks a month. NFC would make the link perfect, but in the meantime BlueTooth isn't exactly difficult.

And I can't remember the last time I used a desktop mail client for personal use.

So far as launch dates are concerned, RIM has ramped up marketing to enterprise in the last few weeks, and my current client is being shown demo's this week and next. They're champing at the bit to buy PlayBook, so my main worry is whether there'll be enough for the consumer market.

Many corporations are heavily into Adobe Flash already, so RIM's positioning for the enterprise is genius. We already have a number of Flash apps that will port with only limited change. Steve Jobs made a huge mistake when he rejected Flash, though that may have been more because the iPad couldn't support the technology.

To quote Gone with the Wind...
"Frankly my dear I don't give a damn!"
Just release the darn thing already I'm tired of waiting!

Help me to understand why BB always have such late (late meaning not to compete with Apple and others) releases of their products and thenk when released, its still lagging technically behind the iphone/ipad or android. I'm a die-hard BB-fanatic and will stay on this side the fence, but all the waiting on the Playbook is making me wonder if the grass is greener on the other side.

I like how he says, "this is how the BlackBerry platform should have been" gets me all excited about how the QNX phones are going to be.

It´s kinda funny, when he talks about: "Beeing professional... blah...for buisness.. blah" and then he watches youtube on it! Good one! :D

http://www.bgr.com/2011/03/02/blackberry-playbook-launching-on-april-10t...

I bet the 3G/4G Playbooks will have their own calendar, email, etc... I can totally see why RIM would assume that someone buying the WiFi-only version would already be carrying a Blackberry smartphone. This kind of "Oh, DUH" thinking happens all the time where I work. Somebody in an office makes a decision, and a shop floor worker says "well, why didn't you just do this..." and you can watch the look on their face as they realize they missed the obvious. At least this oversight can be easily corrected with a software update...

I hope someone from blackberry reads this. I am done!!! not waiting for it. I am sending u a breake (for you canadians I put the e at end) up note. your not worth waiting for! you have baited me and made me promises you have no intentions of keeping! One day u say! but i am not falling for your tricks anymore! show me the goodies or were though ! I am ending my bb phone that i bought to marry up with you and pulling my old phone out. NOBODY CARES ANYMORE ABOUT THE PLAYBOOK YOU HAVE PROMISED AND PROMISED IF WE WAIT IT WILL BE WORTH IT, BUT SORRY WAITING NO MORE!
p.s.
ok one more month thats it. then i sware were though if you don't change

Palybook is definitely for a both entertainment and business.

I can't wait for this thing to come out.

Geezus, this thing STILL hasn't been released?

Well, RIM pretty much nailed their coffin shut with iPad 2 being announced today. Do you think anyone is going to want a playbook after the announcement of the iPad 2 and all the cool new features? Not to mention the Xoom is out.

I hope RIM sells the playbook for $400 without contract, that's the ONLY way they are going to move units.

As a current Ipad user at home and at work id love to see the RIM tablet kick its tail. The single issue with medical records is being able to integrate it with such a market that has systems in place that are unwillling to work with anything except what hardware and software that has been designed for that system. Currently in human and animal medicine the Ipad can not only take care of in hospital needs but it can take care of billing and the receptionist end of things as well. The only issue with the Ipad being used in the medical field is that the systems designed to store client records are so diverse that it can not be a apple based piece of equipment because theyre current running equipment does not work well with diversity. (multiple record operating systems) Tell RIM help. From the professional world.

So Apple has released TWO generations of iPad's.

What has RIM done?

Released a bunch of videos.

RIM = FA1L

Lol running YouTube ...RIM sucks