Hasta La Gadget!

Hurry and order yours today — before they run out of magic dust.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Want a PlayBook that runs Android 3.0? You can get one at MacMall! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 02:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RIM’s PlayBook is currently available in a Wi-Fi only version. Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Research in Motion previously said its PlayBook tablet would be available on Verizon, but Verizon isn’t ready to hop on board just yet.

Verizon Wireless has yet to decide whether it will offer the BlackBerry PlayBook to its customers, according to a company spokesperson.

“We are still evaluating the Blackberry Playbook and have not made a determination as to whether or not we’re going to distribute it,” Verizon Wireless spokesperson Brenda Raney told CNET in a statement.

Verizon’s indecision conflicts with previous statements made by RIM. In an interview two weeks before the PlayBook’s debut, RIM CEO Mike Lazaridis confirmed to Wired.com that a Verizon 4G LTE version of the PlayBook would be released over the summer, along with AT&T and Sprint versions of the tablet. The BlackBerry PlayBook launched on Tuesday in its Wi-Fi only models.

In separate statements issued to Wired.com, both AT&T and Sprint confirmed that 4G versions of the PlayBook would be released on each carrier’s respective network this summer.

RIM did not immediately return a request for comment.

The PlayBook has had its share of stumbles in the weeks leading up to its debut. Early reviews from tech journalists were lukewarm at best (including our own), citing a lack of crucial features like native e-mail, calendar and contact apps and stability issues with Adobe Flash-based content.

Problems also arose between RIM and AT&T earlier this week as the BlackBerry Bridge app — which lets users connect their PlayBook to an existing BlackBerry smartphone, in order to check email and access the phone’s data connection — was unavailable for download through BlackBerry App World for users who have AT&T-carried BlackBerry phones. AT&T stated it had just received the app, and had to test it before approving it for AT&T customers on App World.

Day one PlayBook sales estimates, however, suggest the tablet’s outlook may not as grim as analysts expected. As many as 50,000 PlayBooks were sold on Tuesday, according to RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky. The number includes pre-ordered devices, which accounted for about half of the first day sales. Abramsky forecasts 500,000 PlayBooks shipped by the end of May.

What’s in a PlayBook? No, literally, what is in that thing? Well, most of the specs were known ahead of today’s release, but there was a bit of confusion about whether RIM’s 7-inch tablet did or didn’t have a gyroscope, which has now been set straight (it does!) by the crew at iFixit. They did their usual study of what it’ll take to repair your own PlayBook should the need ever arise, and gave it a repairability score of 7 out of 10. Replacing the front glass would be a bit of a pain to do, but then that’s the case with most portable devices. The motherboard also got a thorough examination, with all the power management, wireless connectivity, and memory chips getting identified and recorded for posterity. If you want to check iFixit‘s work, feel free to visit UBM Tech Insights as well, who have their own component list and closeup photography of that dual-core TI OMAP4430 system-on-chip. Yes, closeup photography.

BlackBerry PlayBook pried open, gyroscope and other goodies discovered originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lately, anything goes when a RIM CEO gets in front of the media. Fortunately, it was the other CEO, Jim Balsillie, talking to Bloomberg this time delivering a calm, cool rebuttal to all the lukewarm PlayBook reviews. His consumer defense is largely based upon the PlayBook’s ability to receive software updates (we received three in the brief time we had our review unit) throughout its lifetime. Jim, as you can imagine, preferred keeping the conversation focused on how the PlayBook is fully functional today when used in combination with a BlackBerry handset in business environments. Balsillie did seem to hint that the consumer experience could improve relatively quickly, saying, “We’ll have an over the air email client to announce very very soon. We have BlackBerry World — our user conference — in a couple weeks. Stay tuned for all capabilities we have coming out on this stuff.” See the man dance on the hotseat right after the break.

Continue reading RIM: PlayBook email client ‘very very soon,’ 3G model this summer

RIM: PlayBook email client ‘very very soon,’ 3G model this summer originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 15 Apr 2011 01:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Twiddling your thumbs in anticipation now that you’ve placed your PlayBook preorder? Why not put yourself to good use by teaching that dusty cranium how to use it? At first glance, this guide for retail salespeople looks like it could have been thrown together by us, complete with a tour of the ports and a helpful reminder that you can use the touchscreen in both landscape and portrait mode. But it’s in the sales simulation section that things really start to get interesting. For all the talk about how the PlayBook is an obvious companion for BlackBerry owners, it’s clear RIM got the memo about making it palatable to consumers, too. For instance, the company would rather reps say it “offers stunning multimedia, true multitasking, and access to the whole internet — no exceptions,” than “[It] gives you the business tools you need to transform the way you work.” Hit the source link to get acquainted and do pay attention — like a third-grade spelling lesson or visit to the DMV, it comes with a quiz (or eight).

[Thanks, Velkcro]

Leaked BlackBerry PlayBook training manual appears online, Bill Belichick yells ‘innocent!’ originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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