The BlackBerry PlayBook tablet is a good-looking piece of hardware. Like the proto-humans in 2001: A Space Odyssey , you'll be eager to touch the monolithic object's black, buttonless visage. But once you do, things get a little more complicated.

Sexy design appeals to the Mies in you; Media is a joy with a brilliant display, great sound and an HDMI output; Two cameras: one on the front, a better one on the back; Supports tethering to BlackBerry phones; Comes with office-productivity apps that can read and edit MS Office files.

RIM's WebKit-based browser is about as stable as your bipolar uncle; No native e-mail, calendar or contacts apps; App ecosystem is lacking; You'll need to install a driver before you can connect it to your PC or Mac; Runs Flash, sorta

The BlackBerry PlayBook is RIM's entry into the burgeoning tablet market that is currently dominated by Apple. It faces a stiff competition from Apple's iPad and the various Android tablets that are just now coming to market. Does RIM have what it takes to compete at this level of consumer tablet?

Fast response; great screen; solid build quality; future promise

BlackBerry smartphone required for many tasks; few apps; missing core functionality; mediocre camera

Update : With more price drops for the BlackBerry tablet, we've taken yet another look at the Playbook to see if it's finally worth the cash, in light of a 4G PlayBook coming later this year. It's probably fair to say that the BlackBerry Playbook had something of a rocky start to life.

Blackberry made a name for itself with its business-centric phones and messaging applications. It has now entered to tablet business as well, producing the PlayBook, a light 7 inch tablet that runs its own OS, called BlackBerry Tablet OS.

Great if 10 inch is too big; A snappy OS and solid supplied apps

Weak third-party application support; No network media streaming

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.

PlayBook may be an odd name for BlackBerry's first tablet, but RIM's 7in PlayBook offers a refreshing interface and smooth performance that live up to its name. However, beyond the great multitasking and intuitive UI, the PlayBook holds little appeal for non-BlackBerry smartphone users.

Great software; multitasking and slick UI; Excellent performance; Comfortable size for travelling and commuting

No native calendar; e-mail or contacts apps (yet; Limited selection of apps in App World; Not much appeal for non-BlackBerry users

What the PlayBook can do, it does very well. We thought this would be the dry middle-aged tablet, but we've been impressed by how well it's been able to handle video, music (through the great 7Digital music store) and the internet browsing experience.

Right now, the BlackBerry PlayBook is ideal for a BlackBerry smartphone user looking to purchase a tablet. This is mainly due to the BlackBerry Bridge sync option. However, even then we would advise potential buyers to wait it out till there is a respectable apps eco-system.

Excellent multitasking; Brilliant display; Flash and Adobe AIR support

Limited number of apps; Biased towards BlackBerry smartphone users; Poor implementation of the power/sleep button

RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook has had the first update to its operating system almost a year after its launch. While OS 2 isn't a revolution for tablets, it at least gives the PlayBook a fighting chance against the marauding hordes from Apple and Android .

Native email client; sharp 7-inch screen; pocketable size; gesture controls; 5-megapixel camera and decent 3-megapixel front-facing camera; HDMI port; HD video recording

Still not many apps; no BBM; limited Android app support

RIM is walking the fine line between enterprise and consumer tablet with its BlackBerry PlayBook. Is the business-friendly tablet still fun and useful for consumers, or is it a tweener[...

Tough; solid build; BlackBerry Tablet OS responsive; fluid; Most complete tablet browser to date; Office apps superb

Missing basic apps at launch (coming soon; however; No SD card slot; Power button way too small; Memory management needs work