After what has seemed like years the BlackBerry PlayBoook has officially launched in the US and Canada. Just as a little recap the PlayBook comes in 3 different sizes, 16 gig, 32 gig, 64 gig and will cost $499, $599, and $699 respectively. Finding your self a PlayBook shouldnt be a hard task as RIM is selling the new tablet in as many stores as you can shake a stick at, but if you need a tip you can find the list here. Drop a comment below if you picked up a PlayBook today.

RIM has done a good job with the QNX PlayBook OS making sure that all the settings are there for you and easy to get at, just a thumb tap away. Here we have the layout for the PlayBook’s still camera application as you can see there are a few options available to help your get the perfect shot. I’ve been using the PlayBook and its camera for just about a week now and I gotta say that the quality it produces is truly best in class.

Get familiar with the PlayBook so when you get your hands on one you’ll know exactly how to operate it.

We’re less than 24 hrs away from the launch of RIM’s first stab at the tablet market, did they hit the nail on the head? or will this just be an evolution and not a big leap ahead of the competition.

First thing you’ll notice when you buy your PlayBook is that RIM changed up the packaging a little, since they don’t have to cater to the cellular provider they are now able to spice up the box your device comes in. Take a look at the video and keep an eye out for our full review.

Until now, RIM has been rather quite on how the BlackBerry PlayBook would be governed under BES policies. This is quite odd considering the fact that RIM seems to be targeting the PlayBook at enterprise and giving it the title of the “first professional grade tablet.” Today, RIM has divulged some of how the PlayBook will work in accordance with BES.

The PlayBook does not have a traditional PIN so it can’t be directly controlled by BES unless RIM were to issue some sort of update between now and launch day. Instead of directly managing the PlayBook with BES, IT administrators will manage how BlackBerry Smartphones interact with the PlayBook. There will be two main features that BES admins can set up for the PlayBook at launch. One will be the use of BlackBerry Bridge and the other is the submission of BlackBerry PlayBook logs. You can read on past the break for all the info on the PlayBook BES policies or click the link below to view the info directly from RIM’s Knowledge Base.

• View the PlayBook BES Policies in RIM’s Knowledge Base

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OfficeMax has announced, by way of press release, that they have opened online pre-orders for the BlackBerry PlayBook. They will only be accepting pre-orders for the 16GB version of the PlayBook. On April 19 you will be able to stop in at your local OfficeMax and pick up a 16GB in person. To order a 32 or 64 GB PlayBook from OfficeMax you will have to place a special order either in-store or by phone. We’re not real sure why they are only offering the 16GB in-store, but if you want a larger capacity you can stop in at pretty much any other electronics retailer and pick yourself up one on April 19th. The full press release continues past the break.

• Pre-Order your 16GB PlayBook from OfficeMax

OfficeMax Enables Customers to Pre-Order 16 GB BlackBerry PlayBook Online

–Customers can pre-order a new tablet through Office.com now until April 19, 2011 -

CHICAGO, April 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Significant technological advances and the emergence of portable tech tools continue to redefine day-to-day productivity of businesses everywhere.  OfficeMax® Incorporated (NYSE: OMX), a leader in office supplies and services, recently announced it is expanding its tablet offerings by adding the new BlackBerry® PlayBook(TM) to its suite of technology products beginning on April 19, 2011. OfficeMax will allow customers to pre-order a new 16 GB BlackBerry® PlayBook(TM) tablet (retail price: $499) through www.officemax.com now through April 19, 2011.

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To view this video on your BlackBerry, Click Here.

BlackBerry App World has been one of the biggest question marks for the PlayBook. We knew that it would be there and was totally redesigned for the PlayBook, but we had only seen a limited few screenshots so far. Today, we have the first live video of App World on the BlackBerry Tablet OS. And quite a video it is, running nearly 12 minutes. The version of App World in this video is very unfinished with many features not yet enabled. This is something that i’m sure RIM will have worked out before official launch. Not only does this video cover App World but it also has a nice walkthrough of the entire PlayBook OS. If you’re anxiously awaiting April 19 be sure to check this video out to get your PlayBook fix until then.

Source: YouTube user: BludyCore
Via: IntoMobile

RIM has released the third beta update to the BlackBerry WebWorks SDK for the Tablet OS. This new version brings even more functionality to developers using this SDK for their PlayBook applications. There are also some major improvements for developers using Mac OS. Developers will need to run your WebWorks apps in this new SDK and update them to work with the functioning Tablet OS version. This is most likely the final update to the WebWorks SDK before the PlayBook launches and the apps that are created with this will be the apps that run on the PlayBook at release. The changes to the app are as follows:

• Code Signing Enabled – you can now secure your application using the BlackBerry code signing process for BlackBerry Tablet OS.
• AJAX support for local context. This fix improves the quality of support for using AJAX to retrieve local resources. A benefit of this fix includes improved support on the BlackBerry® PlayBook^TM tablet for JavaScript® frameworks like jQuery.
• Loading screen image – Developers can define a loading screen and transition effect in their config.xml file to improve the user experience during application startup.
• Major improvements in Mac support – Absolute paths now allowed in ZIP archive; _MACOSX folder no longer being included in BAR file; Format of bbwp command line arguments changed from “-” to “/”

• Check out the updated WebWorks SDK here

Source: Inside BlackBerry

Telus is the latest retailer to officially announce that the BlackBerry PlayBook is coming soon to their shelves. Telus has a page up on their site highlighting some of the features of RIM’s soon-to-be-launched flagship tablet. You can check out the Telus BlackBerry PlayBook page at the link below.

• View the BlackBerry PlayBook at Telus

There has been so much talk about the BlackBerry PlayBook and it’s connectivity features. Today we have a little more insight into internet connectivity on the PlayBook. We all know about BlackBerry Bridge, the connectivity that allows you to use your calendar, BBM, and email on the PlayBook. Today we have gotten a peek at what’s being called “Internet Tethering.” Internet Tethering is just what you would expect it to be, you can tether your PlayBook to your mobile phone and use your 3G (or 4G) internet connection on the PlayBook.

To use tethering you will first have to have a mobile phone that has Bluetooth connectivity. Any phone with Bluetooth will do. It can be a BlackBerry, iPhone, Android, or any device with bluetooth and a mobile connection. You will pair the PlayBook with the mobile phone using Bluetooth and then you can activate Internet Tethering on the PlayBook. Keep in mind that you may be charged extra by your service provider when using this feature. You will need to check with your carrier prior to tethering to ensure that extra fees are not required. Carriers have been extra vigilant lately in tracking down unauthorized tethering.

This feature is sure to be a nice selling point for the PlayBook and I know it will help with some of the confusion over needing to have a BlackBerry to use the PlayBook. So to recap, to use tethering you will need any mobile phone with Bluetooth. To use BlackBerry Bridge for native email and BBM you will need a BlackBerry. The BlackBerry PlayBook looks even better everytime we hear more information on it. I know i’m excited, are you?

Source: CrackBerry

Sears Canada has begun taking pre-orders for the BlackBerry PlayBook. Their pre-order page just went live and it features all three models of the PlayBook at the standard price points. If you’re a big fan of Sears and want to get your PlayBook from them, now is the time to get your pre-order in. Head on over to the link below to pre-order your PlayBook from Sears Canada.

• Pre-Order BlackBerry PlayBook from Sears Canada

Source: CrackBerry

Office Depot has announced today, by way of an official press release, that they will be carrying the BlackBerry PlayBook beginning on April 19th. The Depot will be following the same pricing structure as most other stores; $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB, and $699 for 64GB. You will be able to get your PlayBook fix from Office Depot either in your local store or online. The more press releases we get from stores, the more exciting the BlackBerry PlayBook becomes. We have already seen that the PlayBook is an amazing tablet and all these retail outlets jumping behind it we are sure to have a success on our hands.

Press Release

Office Depot to Offer the New BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet In-Store and Online Starting April 19

Customers Can Pre-Order the Playbook Today by Visiting OfficeDepot.com

BOCA RATON, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Office Depot (NYSE: ODP), celebrating 25 years as a leading global provider of office supplies and services, today announced that the Company will offer the highly anticipated BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet at nationwide Office Depot retail store locations and online at www.officedepot.com beginning April 19, 2011.

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OfficeMax put out an official press release today letting the world know that the BlackBerry PlayBook will be hitting their store shelves on April 19th. There’s no pre-order, but OfficeMax will have the PlayBook for sale both in-store and online starting April 19th. It’s just one of many retail outlets that will carry the PlayBook so if you’re not near an OfficeMax, don’t fret. The PlayBook will be available at over 20,000 retail outlets worldwide. The OfficeMax PR begins below.

OfficeMax to Offer the New BlackBerry PlayBook In All U.S. Stores

– New Tablet with Wi-Fi Available In Stores and Online on April 19, 2011 –

NAPERVILLE, Ill., March 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — OfficeMax® Incorporated (NYSE: OMX), a leader in office supplies and services, today announced it will offer the new BlackBerry® PlayBook(TM) tablet in all of its 1,000 retail locations nationwide and through www.officemax.com. The new BlackBerry PlayBook tablet will be available for purchase on April 19, 2011. The BlackBerry PlayBook with Wi-Fi® will be available in three models, costing $499 (16GB), $599 (32GB) and $699 (64GB).

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We know that the BlackBerry PlayBook will have a 5300mAh battery but so far RIM has been mum on how much use that massive battery will actually get you. On the Staples PlayBook pre-order page there’s a bullet point listing the PlayBook battery life at “10 hours of continuous use.” Now take this with a grain of salt for now as RIM has yet to confirm the actual use times for this battery. 10 hours of use per charge certainly seems plausible and we know that the iPad gets 10 hours on it’s battery. We won’t know anything for certain until we actually get the device in our hands and get some battery tests done. I’m guessing the actual life will be around 6-7 hours of use per charge. Feel free to let us know what you think and what you’re actually getting when you get your PlayBook.

Source: CrackBerry

To View This Video on Your BlackBerry or Other Mobile Device, Click Here

With the BlackBerry PlayBook coming out in less than a month we will be seeing more and more of it in the coming weeks. Tonight we get a look at the native Calculator and Weather apps on the BlackBerry PlayBook courtesy of Kevin from CrackBerry. First, the Calculator app for the PlayBook. The calculator app for the PlayBook looks amazing! Calculations are performed on the right side of the screen and a running tally of your actions is kept on the left side. The calculator app offers four modes: Standard, Scientific, Tip, and Conversion. The video above gives a walk-through of the PlayBook Calculator app. Check out the weather app after the break.

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Today we have just a bit more contradicting information on the BlackBerry PlayBook. Ok, well its not all contradicting. First, let’s talk pricing. We have seen $499 rumored before for the 16GB model and that is the same price we see here. We also see $599 and $699 which would be for the 32GB and 64GB versions of the PlayBook. From all we have seen and heard these look to be a pretty good estimate of the PlayBook pricing at launch. And then we have the launch date. This document, which comes from a “major US retailer,” shows the PlayBook launching on March 27. We have heard so many dates now that it’s really anyone’s guess when the PlayBook will launch until RIM puts that press release in TheBerryFix inbox. If you ask me, i’m going to say around April 10th, but that’s just my guess…

Source: PreCentral

Via: CrackBerry