BlackBerry PlayBook
Encyclopedia
The BlackBerry PlayBook is a tablet computer
by Research In Motion
(RIM), best known for the BlackBerry
smartphone
. It competes against Apple's iPad
and a slew of Android-powered tablets.
The device was released for general purchase in the United States on April 19, 2011, and early sales figures note that approximately fifty thousand (50,000) were sold on launch day. Early reviews were generally negative, noting several missing features and commenting that the system appeared to be rushed to market. Follow-up sales slowed considerably; originally predicted at over 2 million, later adjusted downward to just under 1 million. Actual unit shipment were eventually revealed to be approximately 500,000 during the first quarter and just 200,000 in the following quarter. Much of the 700,000 units shipped to retailers remained on the shelves for months, prompting RIM to implement dramatic price reductions to stimulate sales.
The PlayBook is based on the BlackBerry Tablet OS
, a new operating system
based on QNX Neutrino, and runs apps developed using Adobe AIR. It was later announced that the BlackBerry Tablet OS would be merged with the existing BlackBerry OS
to produce a new operating system, "BBX", that would be used universally across RIM's product line. RIM has also announced support for applications for the Android OS, allowing them to be sold and installed through the BlackBerry App World
marketplace.
, had circulated for several months prior to the announcement. Research In Motion
co-CEO Mike Lazaridis
and Adobe Systems
CTO Kevin Lynch staged the first public demonstration of the PlayBook on October 25, 2010 onstage at the opening-day keynote of the Adobe MAX
2010 conference.
Among the features demonstrated was its tight integration with and support for Adobe AIR applications and full Flash
support. According to Lazaridis, "We're not trying to dumb down the internet for a mobile device. What we've done is bring up mobile devices to the level of desktop computers". Lazaridis then announced at the end of his presentation that developers who get Adobe AIR applications approved on the BlackBerry App World
would be eligible for free BlackBerry PlayBook tablets. Since then, the free PlayBook offer has been extended to include WebWorks applications.
, magnetometer
, and accelerometer
. The PlayBook uses the dual-core Texas Instruments
OMAP4430 Processor. The BlackBerry PlayBook supports high resolution video playback (H.264, MPEG4, WMV), and audio (MP3, AAC 5.1, WMA 5.1 audio playback) formats. It also has a micro-HDMI port for HDMI video output. Among the PlayBook, Apple iPad, and Xoom from Motorola, the PlayBook comes in lightest at 0.9 LBs, compared to 1.33 LBs & 1.59 LBs, respectively.
supported webkit
-based browser, HDMI output, and multitasking capabilities. It has also been criticized since the PlayBook requires the BlackBerry for its native email and calendar applications, although third party email and calendar applications are supported. The platform also has relatively few native third party applications compared to other platforms. Following the mixed reviews, RIM's Playbook has begun to gain traction and receive better reviews, as the temporary issues are being solved. Walt Mossberg, columnist for The Wall Street Journal
, wrote, "I got the strong impression RIM is scrambling to get the product to market." Research In Motion's co-chief executive officer, Jim Balsillie
, countered the criticism by noting that there are more than 60 million BlackBerry smartphones in use that are capable of pairing with a PlayBook.
. Other PlayBook apps include Cocktales and Adobe Connect Mobile. At the initial launch, between 2,000 and 3,000 apps were available from the BlackBerry App World
, however, RIM states that as many as 3,000 additional apps have been submitted.
. For now, the PlayBook will only support Android 2.3 apps.
RIM stated that the compatibility with Android applications will be included in a software update of the BlackBerry Tablet OS
.
RIM more recently announced that BlackBerry Java applications will not be supported in the BBX next generation mobile platform for BlackBerry tablets.
and calendar has been a source of criticism and much debate by reviewers and users. The only way to access email is through the web browser, Blackberry Bridge, or third-party applications from App World, which RIM chose for security reasons. However RIM has stated that these native applications will be available in upcoming updates to the system software
. RIM have announced their plan to introduce OS 2: where the native applications as well as many more fixes to the software are expected to occur.
February 17th 2012 has been announced as the release date for OS 2.0. BBM support will not be included with the 2.0 update, although RIM appears to intend to support BBM in a future update. In addition to other functionality, the software update will add integrated email, calendar, and contact apps. BBM (aka BlackBerry Messenger) will however still be supported through the BlackBerry Bridge software allowing one to continue to have access to it while bridged to his or her BlackBerry smartphone.
RIM announced in its quarterly earnings that half a million PlayBook tablets were shipped in the first quarter.
However, after lukewarm market reception, there were reports that the company revised its second-quarter estimates from 2.4 million down to 800,000 – 900,000 units.
When RIM announced their second quarter financial results, they revealed that they shipped 200,000 units.
The combined unit shipment of 700,000 units during the first two quarter of release was only a small fraction of the 2-3 million units per quarter many had anticipated prior to the device's introduction. Following several months of poor sales RIM started discounting the price of Playbook from its original $499 retail price to $300 at many outlets in late September 2011. The price was further reduced to $199 at various retail outlets in both Canada and US in November due to apparent low market demand.
According to Strategy Analytics figures in the 2011 second quarter, the PlayBook's market share is 3.3 percent, compared to Apple's 61.3 percent with its iPad
and iPad 2
(iOS), Google Android (numerous manufacturers) with 30.1 percent, and Microsoft
(also numerous manufacturers) with 4.6 percent.
certification, which makes it eligible for use by U.S. federal government agencies. In addition the Australian government also approved the use of PlayBook as the only tablet that meets its security standard . The Russian government is considering banning iPads due to security concerns and promoting the PlayBook instead.
Tablet computer
A tablet computer, or simply tablet, is a complete mobile computer, larger than a mobile phone or personal digital assistant, integrated into a flat touch screen and primarily operated by touching the screen...
by Research In Motion
Research In Motion
Research In Motion Limited or RIM is a Canadian multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada that designs, manufactures and markets wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market...
(RIM), best known for the BlackBerry
BlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
smartphone
Smartphone
A smartphone is a high-end mobile phone built on a mobile computing platform, with more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a contemporary feature phone. The first smartphones were devices that mainly combined the functions of a personal digital assistant and a mobile phone or camera...
. It competes against Apple's iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
and a slew of Android-powered tablets.
The device was released for general purchase in the United States on April 19, 2011, and early sales figures note that approximately fifty thousand (50,000) were sold on launch day. Early reviews were generally negative, noting several missing features and commenting that the system appeared to be rushed to market. Follow-up sales slowed considerably; originally predicted at over 2 million, later adjusted downward to just under 1 million. Actual unit shipment were eventually revealed to be approximately 500,000 during the first quarter and just 200,000 in the following quarter. Much of the 700,000 units shipped to retailers remained on the shelves for months, prompting RIM to implement dramatic price reductions to stimulate sales.
The PlayBook is based on the BlackBerry Tablet OS
BlackBerry Tablet OS
BlackBerry Tablet OS is an operating system based on the QNX Neutrino real-time operating system designed to run Adobe AIR and BlackBerry WebWorks applications...
, a new operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
based on QNX Neutrino, and runs apps developed using Adobe AIR. It was later announced that the BlackBerry Tablet OS would be merged with the existing BlackBerry OS
BlackBerry OS
BlackBerry OS is a proprietary mobile operating system, developed by Research In Motion for its BlackBerry line of smartphone handheld devices...
to produce a new operating system, "BBX", that would be used universally across RIM's product line. RIM has also announced support for applications for the Android OS, allowing them to be sold and installed through the BlackBerry App World
BlackBerry App World
BlackBerry App World is an application distribution service and application by Research In Motion for a majority of BlackBerry devices. The service provides BlackBerry users with an environment to browse, download, and update third-party applications. The service went live on April 1, 2009...
marketplace.
History
Rumors about the forthcoming computer, nicknamed the BlackPad in the press because of its expected similarity to Apple Inc's competing iPadIPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
, had circulated for several months prior to the announcement. Research In Motion
Research In Motion
Research In Motion Limited or RIM is a Canadian multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada that designs, manufactures and markets wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market...
co-CEO Mike Lazaridis
Mike Lazaridis
Mihalis "Mike" Lazaridis , OC, O.Ont is a Greek Canadian businessman. He is the founder and co-CEO of Research In Motion , which created and manufactures the BlackBerry wireless handheld device. He is also a former chancellor of the University of Waterloo, and an Officer of the Order of Canada...
and Adobe Systems
Adobe Systems
Adobe Systems Incorporated is an American computer software company founded in 1982 and headquartered in San Jose, California, United States...
CTO Kevin Lynch staged the first public demonstration of the PlayBook on October 25, 2010 onstage at the opening-day keynote of the Adobe MAX
Adobe MAX
The Adobe MAX is an annual event held by Adobe Systems in North America, Europe and Japan. The purpose of the event is to promote the latest Adobe releases to those in the computer design and development industries....
2010 conference.
Among the features demonstrated was its tight integration with and support for Adobe AIR applications and full Flash
Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
support. According to Lazaridis, "We're not trying to dumb down the internet for a mobile device. What we've done is bring up mobile devices to the level of desktop computers". Lazaridis then announced at the end of his presentation that developers who get Adobe AIR applications approved on the BlackBerry App World
BlackBerry App World
BlackBerry App World is an application distribution service and application by Research In Motion for a majority of BlackBerry devices. The service provides BlackBerry users with an environment to browse, download, and update third-party applications. The service went live on April 1, 2009...
would be eligible for free BlackBerry PlayBook tablets. Since then, the free PlayBook offer has been extended to include WebWorks applications.
Features
The BlackBerry PlayBook supports up to 1080p video playback. PlayBook Features a 3 MP front-facing camera for video chatting over Wi-Fi and a rear-facing 5 MP camera, both of which can record 1080p video. The PlayBook has a 1024×600 WSVGA, 7-inch display and 3D graphics acceleration. It features a variety of sensors, including an InvenSense 6-axis gyroscopeGyroscope
A gyroscope is a device for measuring or maintaining orientation, based on the principles of angular momentum. In essence, a mechanical gyroscope is a spinning wheel or disk whose axle is free to take any orientation...
, magnetometer
Magnetometer
A magnetometer is a measuring instrument used to measure the strength or direction of a magnetic field either produced in the laboratory or existing in nature...
, and accelerometer
Accelerometer
An accelerometer is a device that measures proper acceleration, also called the four-acceleration. This is not necessarily the same as the coordinate acceleration , but is rather the type of acceleration associated with the phenomenon of weight experienced by a test mass that resides in the frame...
. The PlayBook uses the dual-core Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Inc. , widely known as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, United States, which develops and commercializes semiconductor and computer technology...
OMAP4430 Processor. The BlackBerry PlayBook supports high resolution video playback (H.264, MPEG4, WMV), and audio (MP3, AAC 5.1, WMA 5.1 audio playback) formats. It also has a micro-HDMI port for HDMI video output. Among the PlayBook, Apple iPad, and Xoom from Motorola, the PlayBook comes in lightest at 0.9 LBs, compared to 1.33 LBs & 1.59 LBs, respectively.
Release
BlackBerry PlayBook was released in Canada and USA on April 19, 2011; in the UK and the Netherlands on June 16, 2011; and was released in the United Arab Emirates on June 25, 2011. Early reviews for the product have been mixed, praising the PlayBook's fluid UI, Adobe FlashAdobe Flash
Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
supported webkit
WebKit
WebKit is a layout engine designed to allow web browsers to render web pages. WebKit powers Google Chrome and Apple Safari and by October 2011 held over 33% of the browser market share between them. It is also used as the basis for the experimental browser included with the Amazon Kindle ebook...
-based browser, HDMI output, and multitasking capabilities. It has also been criticized since the PlayBook requires the BlackBerry for its native email and calendar applications, although third party email and calendar applications are supported. The platform also has relatively few native third party applications compared to other platforms. Following the mixed reviews, RIM's Playbook has begun to gain traction and receive better reviews, as the temporary issues are being solved. Walt Mossberg, columnist for The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
, wrote, "I got the strong impression RIM is scrambling to get the product to market." Research In Motion's co-chief executive officer, Jim Balsillie
Jim Balsillie
James Laurence "Jim" Balsillie is a Canadian businessman and co-CEO of the Canadian company Research In Motion. He is a member of the Trilateral Commission, a private political organization...
, countered the criticism by noting that there are more than 60 million BlackBerry smartphones in use that are capable of pairing with a PlayBook.
Applications
The PlayBook includes a pre-loaded app offering access to 1,500 films from the National Film Board of CanadaNational Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
. Other PlayBook apps include Cocktales and Adobe Connect Mobile. At the initial launch, between 2,000 and 3,000 apps were available from the BlackBerry App World
BlackBerry App World
BlackBerry App World is an application distribution service and application by Research In Motion for a majority of BlackBerry devices. The service provides BlackBerry users with an environment to browse, download, and update third-party applications. The service went live on April 1, 2009...
, however, RIM states that as many as 3,000 additional apps have been submitted.
Future Android and Java application support
RIM has officially stated that it will expand its application ecosystem for the PlayBook to include BlackBerry Java and Android-based applications. In a press release, RIM states that developers simply repackage, code sign, and submit their Android apps into BlackBerry App WorldBlackBerry App World
BlackBerry App World is an application distribution service and application by Research In Motion for a majority of BlackBerry devices. The service provides BlackBerry users with an environment to browse, download, and update third-party applications. The service went live on April 1, 2009...
. For now, the PlayBook will only support Android 2.3 apps.
RIM stated that the compatibility with Android applications will be included in a software update of the BlackBerry Tablet OS
BlackBerry Tablet OS
BlackBerry Tablet OS is an operating system based on the QNX Neutrino real-time operating system designed to run Adobe AIR and BlackBerry WebWorks applications...
.
RIM more recently announced that BlackBerry Java applications will not be supported in the BBX next generation mobile platform for BlackBerry tablets.
Other future updates
A decision by RIM to not ship the Playbook with native applications for e-mailE-mail
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
and calendar has been a source of criticism and much debate by reviewers and users. The only way to access email is through the web browser, Blackberry Bridge, or third-party applications from App World, which RIM chose for security reasons. However RIM has stated that these native applications will be available in upcoming updates to the system software
BlackBerry Tablet OS
BlackBerry Tablet OS is an operating system based on the QNX Neutrino real-time operating system designed to run Adobe AIR and BlackBerry WebWorks applications...
. RIM have announced their plan to introduce OS 2: where the native applications as well as many more fixes to the software are expected to occur.
February 17th 2012 has been announced as the release date for OS 2.0. BBM support will not be included with the 2.0 update, although RIM appears to intend to support BBM in a future update. In addition to other functionality, the software update will add integrated email, calendar, and contact apps. BBM (aka BlackBerry Messenger) will however still be supported through the BlackBerry Bridge software allowing one to continue to have access to it while bridged to his or her BlackBerry smartphone.
Reception and sales
Various sources put the sales figure on launch day alone at approximately 50,000, exceeding expectations.RIM announced in its quarterly earnings that half a million PlayBook tablets were shipped in the first quarter.
However, after lukewarm market reception, there were reports that the company revised its second-quarter estimates from 2.4 million down to 800,000 – 900,000 units.
When RIM announced their second quarter financial results, they revealed that they shipped 200,000 units.
The combined unit shipment of 700,000 units during the first two quarter of release was only a small fraction of the 2-3 million units per quarter many had anticipated prior to the device's introduction. Following several months of poor sales RIM started discounting the price of Playbook from its original $499 retail price to $300 at many outlets in late September 2011. The price was further reduced to $199 at various retail outlets in both Canada and US in November due to apparent low market demand.
According to Strategy Analytics figures in the 2011 second quarter, the PlayBook's market share is 3.3 percent, compared to Apple's 61.3 percent with its iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
and iPad 2
IPad 2
The iPad 2 is the second and current generation of the iPad, a tablet computer designed, developed and marketed by Apple. It serves primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, presentations and web content, and is available in black or white...
(iOS), Google Android (numerous manufacturers) with 30.1 percent, and Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
(also numerous manufacturers) with 4.6 percent.
Security
Because BlackBerry Bridge accesses mail, calendaring and contacts directly from a tethered BlackBerry phone, the PlayBook has the same security capabilities as the BlackBerry phone. It is the first (and as of September 2011, the only) tablet device to receive FIPS 140-2FIPS 140-2
The Federal Information Processing Standard Publication 140-2, , is a U.S. government computer security standard used to accredit cryptographic modules. The title is Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules...
certification, which makes it eligible for use by U.S. federal government agencies. In addition the Australian government also approved the use of PlayBook as the only tablet that meets its security standard . The Russian government is considering banning iPads due to security concerns and promoting the PlayBook instead.