RIM plays for high stakes with its new BlackBerry PlayBook. The Canadian company widens its portfolio with a new kind of device, it tries to seduce the general public and, especially, RIM reveals QNX, the future operating system of its intelligent telephones BlackBerry.

I am a blackberry fan and this tablet is ideal for business use. It is functional, has a good battery life and has all the features one needs to get by at work. Media support is average. Apps are an issue -- but with ability to sideload some Android apps, it even overcomes that problem.

The words "play" and "book" are a bit of an odd choice for RIM's latest attempt at consumer relevance, a tablet that, at its core, runs one of the most hardcore and industry-friendly operating systems known to man. The OS is QNX and the hardware is, of course, the BlackBerry PlayBook.

Responsive performance; Strong enterprise chops; Solid hardware

Occasionally glitchy software; Missing apps; Expensive for a seven-incher

Six months after it was first announced in San Francisco, Research In Motion's tablet is finally here. But has it been worth the wait, should you be resisting your urges for an iPad, and has RIM with its new operating system got what it takes?

Screen; size; speed; performance

No apps; currently no email; no calendar; no contacts

No useful apps. Nothing like with Android and Apple provides. If you're just using this for web browsing, then it's fine. Other than that, it's got nothing else. No good games to play or useful apps to download that's why I returned it.

Fast; that's about it

no apps

Once an industry darling, Research in Motion (RIM), the company that makes BlackBerry devices, has lately been navigating stormy seas. RIM's market share has fallen in key markets like the US thanks to smartphones powered by a visibly aging OS and almost obsolete hardware specs when compared with...

Did BlackBerry duff it by going for a 7-inch instead of 10-inch screen? According to BB, they chose this size as BB users are conditioned into typing two-thumbed on their phones. Really not sure if this translates into the tablet world. The smaller size drops the PlayBook into a bit...

The OS is a great piece of software

Sweeping from outside the screen takes getting used to BB Bridge is very basic Streaming media and

While Android and iOS are the big movers of late, BlackBerry is a key player. The company's first tablet looks to build on its impressive, smartphone-based reputation.

The BlackBerry Playbook offers a wide range of features to make your job easier, especially if you are constantly on the go. Wi-Fi capabilities, excellent multitasking, video calling and Adobe Flash support are just a few of the features that enhance this tablet.

The BlackBerry Playbook offers 16; 32 or 64GB of memory and a powerful 1GHz dual core processor

Connection to mobile broadband requires tethering with a cell phone

A fast and long-lasting 7in tablet, the PlayBook's connection to BlackBerry phones make it a must-have for existing users, and its Android app support widens its appeal further