RIM slashes prices for the BlackBerry PlayBook on their online store, models start at $199
Posted on 24. Nov, 2011 by Paul in Deals, Tablets
Research In Motion for a limited amount of time is selling their failed 7-inch BlackBerry PlayBook tablet at $300 below MSRP on their online store. From now through 12/3/2011 you can get a 16GB Wi-Fi PlayBook for $199, a 32GB Wi-Fi model for $299 and a 64GB Wi-Fi model is $399. According to shopblackberry.com (URL for RIM’s official online store front) there is a limit of 3 units per customer order and all orders are shipped with 1 or 2 business days.
What does the BlackBerry PlayBook feature for $199 to $399?
The PlayBook tablet offers a portable 7-inch form-factor, a 1024×600 resolution capacitive multi-touch LCD (glossy type), a 1 GHz dual-core TI OMAP 4 series processing chip, 1GB of RAM, 1080p H.264 video playback (even though the tablets display is gimped at 1024×600 you can output 1080p video through the tablets HDMI output port), BlackBerry Bridge support, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi n support, both Adobe Flash Player and HTML5 are supported by the tablets browser, the QNX operating system supports webOS-like multi-tasking (a card system for running applications), and each model comes with a 3MP webcam and 5MP rear camera (both support 1080p HD video recording).
Other things included with the BlackBerry PlayBook, the “worlds first professional 7″ tablet” according to RIM, are security features like the ability to protect important files and have secure messaging over Bridge and BlackBerry Messenger.
Assessing the value of the BlackBerry PlayBook
The BlackBerry PlayBook runs the QNX-based BlackBerry Tablet OS that allows users to do multi-tasking among other things.
The BlackBerry PlayBook has failed to gain any traction with consumers unlike Apple’s iPad tablets, that’s been due in part to pricing and lack of compelling applications (software) being available for the tablet. Consumers haven’t been willing to spend the same they would on an Apple iPad for a smaller 7-inch tablet that doesn’t have things like built-in calender, contact or e-mail applications and not to mention the lack of many leisure or professional applications inside the BlackBerry App World.
However the tablet itself hasn’t been deemed all that inferior to the Apple iPad by reviewers, it’s just the complete package yet. RIM is working to bring a lot more polish and features to the PlayBook through a major software update that will be released early in 2012 under the name BlackBerry Tablet OS 2.0.
So, going ahead scooping up a $199 (or at most $399) PlayBook might not be a bad deal if you don’t mind waiting a few months to get a more functional tablet.
Check Out Other Stories
6 Responses to “RIM slashes prices for the BlackBerry PlayBook on their online store, models start at $199”
Leave a Reply
Mario Irelan
24. Nov, 2011
ha wow its about time for them to get a update that will still be very buggy. that hardware is already outdated, you can get a better asus tranformer for only 250 through blackfriday sales.
Free BlackBerry PlayBook tablets offered to BlackBerry Enterprise Server customers | Tablets Planet
26. Nov, 2011
[...] tablet sent to them through the mail.This new promotional offer comes after RIM unveiled new aggressive price cuts ($300 off MSRP across the range) for the holiday season that impact the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. [...]
RIM dug a $485 Million hole with the BlackBerry PlayBook in Q3 of 2011 | Tablets Planet
02. Dec, 2011
[...] What’s that drastic move the RIM made? Holiday discounts on all of the BlackBerry PlayBook models to the tune of $300 off the MSRP. For the past few weeks [...]
Sales Explode: Blackberry PlayBook price cutting proves effective for RIM in India | Tablets Planet
02. Jan, 2012
[...] INR) against usual price of $717 (37,990 INR)For the U.S. prices for the BlackBerry PlayBook were as low as $199.99 for a 16GB Wi-Fi model just last month.google_ad_client = "ca-pub-8446489827714282"; /* 336×280, [...]
With new leadership RIM plans to launch 3G equipped PlayBook tablet, purportedly | Tablets Planet
26. Jan, 2012
[...] profitable pricing. In late 2011 RIM threw up a white flag and dropped PlayBook tablet prices down as low as $199 for a 16GB Wi-Fi model, which is down from the $499 the company launched the base 16GB Wi-Fi model at earlier in the [...]
RIM gets very aggressive in their fight for developer attention for their PlayBook tablet | Tablets Planet
04. Feb, 2012
[...] tablet in exchange for an Android app to AppWorld.Currently the PlayBook is being offered for just $199 starting out directly through the BlackBerry online store that Research In Motion controls. The tablets price [...]