The BlackBerry PlayBook cometh

Research in Motion Ltd., the maker of the ubiquitous BlackBerry, last week finally announced an arrival date for its much ballyhooed PlayBook tablet: April 19. More exciting still was the announcement that, thanks to built-in emulation software, the PlayBook will be able to run applications based on Android, the extremely popular smart-phone system. This is exciting because now, rather than a device limited to running only the 25,000 applications developed for the BlackBerry App World universe, the PlayBook also will be able to run more than 200,000 Android applications. Three PlayBook models will be available, including 16GB ($499), 32GB ($599) and 64GB ($699) versions. While the PlayBook lacks its own embedded 3G or 4G radio — it will have to be tethered to a BlackBerry phone for carrier data coverage — all three models will have built-in Wi-Fi. That lack of built-in carrier connectivity is one of the major differentiators between the PlayBook and its established competitors, which include the wildly popular high-end iPad models, as well as the iPad 2 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which, although less popular than the Apple products, still has been bought by more than a million people. While detractors point to the requirement of a connected BlackBerry as a serious drawback, along with the PlayBook's smaller screen size (7 inches versus the iPad's 9.7 inches), RIM points to the installed base of corporate users with BlackBerrys as a major plus. According to RIM, there are more than 250,000 installations of its BlackBerry Enterprise Server, which in turn manages millions of individual BlackBerry users at companies throughout the world and makes rolling out a new device such as the PlayBook a piece of cake. Pre-orders are being accepted online and at Best Buy stores in the U.S. and Canada (see the "Take #1 online, links to stores etc." link below). See the Investment News.com/technology blog for more in-depth coverage. Related stories (hardware): Android apps on the Blackberry PlayBook? The Blackberry PlayBook cometh? (Take #1 online, links to stores etc.) Samsung and RIM take dead aim at the iPad Thinking of picking up an iPad? Here are a few things to consider The iPad is here, almost Advisers with iPhones, meet the Cinemin Swivel micro projector New in 2010: Gadgets you'll love Smart phones: It's all in the apps iPhones may be all the rage, but financial advisers should consider their options before picking their next smart phone Related stories (software, apps, operating systems): WealthCentral Mobile now available for Android Retirement? There's an app for that (Retire Logix for iPhone from Finance Logix) Fidelity rolls out iPhone app for WealthCentral Leveraging the iPad (J.P. Morgan Funds app for wholesalers The Hartford's annuity wholesalers lighten up with iPads Advisers viewing videos in new ways (use of QR codes & readers) iPads taking SageView green, the trees say thank you Reuters Insider technologically impressive [see the last few slideshow images] Thomson Reuters begins the drip of iPad apps Financial application for the Droid NetExchange and iPhone make connection Morningstar application available for iPhone OptionsXpress Junxure to unveil two new versions of its software Redtail teams with Pyxis Mobile to provide mobile access to its CRM More adviser tools coming to smart phones