Will PlayBook steal iPad 2’s thunder?

BlackBerry PlayBook tablet will hit the stores on April 19th; RIM has finally unveiled the launch date! The 0.9 pounds, 7.48 inches by 5.10 PlayBook, may be the most significant development for RIM since the release of its first BlackBerry in 1999.

“Apple teasing” strategy?

To heat up the competition between the iPad2 and the PlayBook, RIM set the starting price for its PlayBook at $449 (for the 16 gigabyte version), which is the same as the iPad2. Also like the iPad, RIM will offer a 32GB version of the PlayBook  for $599, and a 64GB version for $699. As Motorola’s Xoom Android based tablet’s retail price starts from $699 (for 32  gigabyte of storage), RIM’s pricing makes the PlayBook the first real competitor to the iPad in terms of both pricing and  features.

All of RIM’s current PlayBook offerings will be WiFi-only, with mobile broadband versions; PlayBook can smoothly play 1080p high-definition video, and it can handle Flash-enabled websites- this is what RIM brags about. Also RIM claims its smaller size (compared to the iPad) will makes it easier to carry around. Another feature that somewhat makes the Playbook a necessary gadget for businesses is the dual-camera feature which will allow for conference calling. Best Buy, Staples, Office Depot, and RadioShack are retailers who are going to preorder the PlayBook.

Is it a “you snooze, you lose” situation for PlayBook?

PlayBook created a huge buzz when it was first announced last September. Tech savvies were mostly impressed by the list of features RIM promised, but this week when RIM finally announced the launch date and pricing for the PlayBook, it was done with a no muss, no fuss news release.

Now, are consumers going to pay attention to RIM’s beloved PlayBooK? Are they willing to glance up from their lovely, fashionista iPads for even a second to give this poor PlayBook a chance? How is RIM going to differentiate its tablet? We don’t know yet, but one thing we know is that we can’t really blame RIM for failing to inspire the tech world like Apple has, because only very few companies (if any) have a CEO like Steve Jobs that can cast a spell on consumers like him and make them cry about a tablet device -iPad- or make them stand in line for gadgets -for long hours or days- same way some people stand in line for food in poor countries.

It’s taken RIM so long to bring its tablet to market and it hasn’t started ramping up its marketing machine yet. Are RIM’s loyal corporate users going to save the PlayBook? Are PlayBook’s multi-tasking abilities good enough to differentiate it from the iPad? Or is it going to be history in the buzz created by Apple’s tablets?

Well, we’ll find out these answers very soon; but untill then, take a look at the BlackBerry PlayBook vs. iPad 2 (dimensions) video – well, minus the “giving the finger” part, which we have nothing to do with and we apologize for it in advance.