Gadget lovers could soon be faced with one familiar choice – BlackBerry or Apple?
As technology firms rush to cash in on the success of Apple’s flat touch-screen tablet computer the iPad, a device from the firm behind the BlackBerry smartphone is being hailed as the first serious contender.
Research in Motion’s seven-inchPlayBook is expected to launch in Britain this summer for around £320, after it was unveiled at a U.S. trade show yesterday.
Fast software: The PlayBook allows for multi-tasking and features a rotating 'carousel' that shows all the programs that the device is running.
Technology experts have reacted approvingly to the device despite questions about its battery life.
Manufacturers hope sales of tablet computers will take off this year, with market researchers predicting a third of online shopping will be done on the devices by 2015. As many as 60 new tablets – flat-screen computers that allow users to browse the internet and watch videos by touching the screen – could be on the market by the end of the year.
BlackBerry smartphones are already a rival to Apple’s iPhone and RIM executives hope to attract die-hard fans of the brand, who include Barack Obama.
It is hoped they will forego the iPad, which costs from £439, and flock to their cheaper PlayBook which is designed to synchronise with other BlackBerry devices.
Research In Motion boss Jeff McDowell shows off the company's brightest hope for 2011. It has a March release date pencilled in for the U.S and is due to arrive in Britain later in the year
The PlayBook is smaller than the iPad and less than a centimetre thick, a feature that RIM hopes will appeal to younger buyers who don’t want to lug around bulky devices.
It also performed smoothly during a demonstration in Las Vegas yesterday, loading websites quickly and playing videos with ease.
Concerns about how its battery life will compare with the iPad’s ten hours were dismissed by RIM, although it did not provide details. Last night, technology experts praised the PlayBook’s fast performance, with CNET UK calling it a ‘genuine contender’.
Apple has sold more than seven million iPads since launching the device in April.
