The BlackBerry PlayBook appears to be out of stock online at a handful of major retailers in the US and Canada. Stores like Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Staples and Radio Shack have limited or no supply of the PlayBook available. Some outlets (like Best Buy Canada) only list the 32GB model available for purchase. We reached out to RIM and this is what they told us:
"During the back to school season, a number of promotional offers have been in place with select retailers for the BlackBerry PlayBook. These promos were aimed to drive increase adoption of the BlackBerry PlayBook, and help drive sell-through to end customers. These promotions caused many retailers to run out of their current inventory, and we are working with select retailers to replenish stock over the coming weeks. The PlayBook also continues to be available for purchase from RIM's online site, ShopBlackBerry.com "
So it looks like the store may have simply just sold out of their inventory over the past few weeks and have yet to get more in stock. It's highly doubtful that there is a new PlayBook on the way or that the stores will stop selling it completely. So if you're looking to find one online, you can still head straight to ShopBlackBerry.com or just hang tight until stores have a chance to restock.
Source: Computer World