RIM impresses with BlackBerry Playbook
Monday, January 10, 2011 - 08:51:03
Research in Motion (RIM) has used the Consumer Electronics Show to lift the lid on its BlackBerry Playbook tablet/smartphone hybrid and early impressions seem to be very positive.
What is most significant about the Playbook, aside from its hardware, is the fact that the operating system is not found on any other mainstream tablet where Android, iOS and now Windows 7 are common.
Instead, RIM has opted for a platform called QNX, which it gained control over after an acquisition early last year. Video footage and images shot by Engadget, show that this software is incredibly slick and easily a match for its rivals, with colourful icons and immersive backgrounds which ape Android, while its tiled approach to multitasking echoes the HP-owned webOS.
What makes the BlackBerry Playbook so smooth and impressive is its dual core processor which is apparently running two 1GHz cores and based on an OMAP chip design. Those who have got their hands on it at CES were able to run Quake III, play 1080p video, view a slideshow of pictures and listen to a song from the media play app, all simultaneously with virtually no slowdown.
The BlackBerry Playbook has a seven inch display, which is identical to that of the Samsung Galaxy Tab in terms of dimensions, but is actually smaller overall than this rival device. It has a higher pixel density than the iPad, which makes text sharp and HD content look excellent, along with an HDMI output, so you can use it in tandem with an HDTV for playback or presentations.
Many mobile phone fans will be wondering why RIM has not taken this operating system technology and applied it to its range of smartphones. The BlackBerry Torch has been met with mixed reviews since its arrival and many are hopeful that the QNX software will appear on mobile devices in the near future.
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