Gadgets: BlackBerry Taking Another "Crack" at Apple

Apple recently launched it's iPad 2, the predecessor to it's widely popular iPad, initially launched in Spring 2010. Now, RIM is taking a swing at the tablet market with it's BlackBerry Playbook, news of which leaked last month via a leaked image from Office Depot, which showed the 16GB WiFi model with an MSRP $499.

Today, RIM officially launched the PlayBook, available in three models including 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of storage, listed at $499, $599, or $699 respectively. Clearly, the Office Depot leak had some legitimacy to it.

RIM hopes to take on the iPad 2 and others with its first tablet aimed at both consumers and business users alike. It looks well-built, and the smaller display makes one-handed use easier. Early reviews show that performance is solid, based on a pre-release operating system, though just how well the TabletOS will behave remains to be seen. However, a 7″ display may be too small for some, and there’s a question mark over just how many and the overall quality of the apps on offer, and we won't know that for a few months to come.

Now, how can I get my hands on both an iPad 2 and a BlackBerry PlayBook for a Round 2?