Blackberry Playbook and Blackberry OS
Blackberry OS (provided by QNX) is available only on the Blackberry PlayBook. At time of writing the PlayBook is only just coming to market and is therefore not well supported by a large range of apps. Also, you will not be able to get a connection to email and calendar via a Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) unless you own a Blackberry smartphone.
The PlayBook does not have native support for BES email at the moment, although this is set to change later in 2011. To get secure email and calendar services you have to tether the PlayBook to a Blackberry phone with BES services. Blackberry argue that this is more secure, because all email stays on the phone, and duplicates are not stored on the PlayBook.
Size and Weight
- Size: 194mm x 130mm x 10mm
- Weight: 425g
Storage capacity
- 16GB, 32GB, 64GB
Wireless
- Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n)
- Bluetooth 2.1
Display
- 7-inch (diagonal) backlit widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology
- 1024x600-pixel resolution at 169 pixels per inch (ppi)
Chip
- 1GHz dual-core custom-designed, high-performance, low-power
Cameras, Photos and Video Recording
- Back camera: 5MP (720p video recording)
- Front camera: 3MP
Input/Output
- Micro-USB power connector
- Micro HDMI socket
- 3.5mm stereo headphone jack
- 2 x microphones
Sensors
- Three-axis gyro
- Accelerometer
TV and Video
- Video mirroring and video out support: Up to 1080p
Pros and cons
Pros
- Small form factor makes the PlayBook very portable
- Fast 1GHz dual-core processor
- Excellent screen and good ergonomics
- Multi-tasking capabilities
Cons
- Very few apps available at the moment
- No extra storage capacity available via external memory
- No native email and calendar support at the moment
- May not be able to connect to University data network via Eduroam