The BlackBerry PlayBook 7" tablet is here, and a spate of pre-release reviews were less than stellar. RIM may be late to the game, but they've got a fresh new OS powered by QNX and a divine user interface that we'd applaud even more vocally were it not such a blatant rip off of Palm/HP webOS. The PlayBook is available in WiFi-only models (3G/4G versions are coming in May or June, with Sprint being first), and the 16 gig WiFi version we have for review sells for $499. A 32 gig model will set you back $599 and a 64 gig model is $699, similar to iPad 2 pricing.
The tablet has a quality feel to it with a soft touch finish and understated design that reminds us of the Motorola Xoom (that's not a bad thing). It doesn't have the plastic look and feel of the 7" B, and at 14.9 ounces it has some heft. The PlayBook runs on a 1GHz dual core CPU that's quickly become the standard for tablets in various operating systems, and it has a healthy gig of RAM. It has a rear 5 megapixel camera and a 3 megapixel front camera, though there's not much you can do with the front camera beyond taking photos of yourself. Both cameras can shoot sharp and colorful 1080p video at 30fps and they're the best we've seen on tablets.
The PlayBook makes a very good first impression. The hardware has that quality look, and the 1024 x 600 capacitive display is very bright, sharp and colorful. It's large enough to read a web page without much zooming, yet small enough to fit in a large jacket pocket or purse. The home screen and user interface are easy to understand and delightful to use. It plays video like a champ, even 1080p.
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