Blackberry Playbook Launch Party

A few weeks ago I had the chance to attend the BlackBerry Playbook launch party at Center 548 in Chelsea.  I had been to the location before for various Fashion Shows and other events but after press check-in this was the first time I got to ride in the giant elevator I first noticed at Sally LaPointe's debut NYFW show.  It was as big as a large bedroom and it led the way to a giant party arena where editors, bloggers and IT people were mingling over delicious Passion Fruit flavored BlackBerry inspired cocktails and tasty little appetizers.  I was excited for a chance to finally get my hands on a Playbook as a couple months ago I wasn’t able to attend the first introduction of the product to the media and sent my cousin as a substitute.

At first I didn't spot any of the usual suspects – my fellow fashion bloggers – and I feel a little off my game as I soon discover folks from Goldman Sachs and Glamour magazine amongst the party people.  My guess from the looks of the crowd most of the attendees are IT people.  Finally I ran into a couple familiar faces including YM of Liquid Rice and my friend Debie, who works with Jennine at IFB.

I navigated my way through the crowds to reach one of the few display bars set up complete with BlackBerry representative was on hand to walk you through how to use the product and key features.

One of the first things I noticed about the BlackBerry PlayBook was the sturdy feel of it in my hand. The back of the device has a matte rubber cover to give it a good hand feel, avoid fingerprints and increase grip.  The Playbook doesn't feel like it will slip out of my fingers the way an iPad might.  The shape is a completely flat rectangle that feels comfortable in my hand.  The other thin I notice is the size.  It’s about 1/2 the size of an iPad with a  7” screen and weighing in at less than 1 lb.  I’d definitely be more likely to tote this around in the city as it easily slides into about every purse that I own.

While at first the PlayBook wasn't completely intuitive like the iPad  after a quick demo I was well on my way.  One of the key differences is that the frame around the screen was also touch sensitive and you can use your fingers to glide through the menu or to drag away open programs when you are done with them.

Some of the unique features like the ability to run programs simultaneously without pausing or shutting anything down. This is useful if you ever want to simultaneously listen to a podcast while browsing the web or listen to music while writing an email or using any of the Microsoft Office To Go programs that come pre-installed.

The 2-way camera that is able to take pictures and videos of not only of things around you but of yourself as well. The 5 megapixel rear-facing camera that you can
use to capture great pictures is pretty handy, although personally I’d probably still use a cell phone camera. However I am excited about the 3 megapixel front-facing camera, although I think that the quality is almost too good for close up shots as you can see all your pores and shine on your face! Eek!  I just think that this is great if you ever want to take self photos or video and hopefully eventually be able to Skype people from your PlayBook (I just checked the App Store and Skype isn’t developed yet for the PlayBook).

Important to note is that you get a full web browsing experience as the Playbook comes equipped with Adobe Flash.  This is great because for social networking applications like Facebook, you can do things like use FB Chat, post photos or play games like you would from a full computer.  You can also watch YouTube without a hitch.

Also if you’re a BlackBerry user already, you can use BlackBerry Bridge to wirelessly connect to your BlackBerry PlayBook using secure Bluetooth
technology. You can have real-time access to email, calendars, BBM, files, and
other data on your smartphone, displayed on the large HD display of your tablet!

The rep was quick to show me that the Playbook comes pre-loaded with Need for Speed the car game that I know my brother was addicted to growing up and although I am by no means the ideal person to be impressed by that feature, I thought that if I was a game-playing kind of guy I would find it very cool as you get to steer by holding the entire device and tilting it like a steering wheel.  I later found Tetris and although I’m not a gamer, I love to play puzzle games while I wait on the subway platform or while commuting as a happy distraction.  Tetris is an old school fave and it was fun to try playing it using a touch screen.

While the BlackBerry PlayBook, comes with a Neoprene Sleeve, I also got a chance to check out some of the BlackBerry accessories like the Soft Shell, Leather Sleeve and Zip Sleeve that are optional for a more colorful or polished professional look.  While these are super flashy or designer they are very practical!

After my PlayBook education was complete, I had another cocktail before heading home for the evening.  The most happy surprise of all? I was given my very own PlayBook for further exploration.  So far I’m digging the pre-installed program Kobo Books and the NFB app to watch Canadian National Film Board documentaries and animations!

Blackberry Playbook: Now Available for Pre-Order

Earlier this month my cousin/guest blogger, Kevin Lee, told us all about the Blackberry PlayBook after checking out the product at the launch.  Today, RIM and Best Buy announced the pricing and launch date of April 19, 2011 for the BlackBerry PlayBook. RIM plans for the the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet available in more than 20,000 retail outlets across the USA and Canada.

The BlackBerry PlayBook with Wi-Fi will come in three models - 16GB, 32GB or 64GB for $499, $599 and $699 respectively. It will be available at all Best Buy stores and Best Buy Mobile stores in the USA as well as Best Buy and Future Shop stores in Canada.  If you are uber excited about the PlayBook, you can place your pre-order starting today:

* USA bestbuy.com/playbook
* Canada – bestbuy.ca/blackberry or futureshop.ca/blackberry

Blackberry Playbook Launch

Since I am currently an iPad user (thanks to FNO at Kate Spade) but not 100% convinced that it is the best touch device on the market, I really wanted to check out the Blackberry Playbook launch in person! Unfortunately, since it conflicted with my professional life I wasn’t able to attend. Fortunately I was able to send my fab cousin, Kevin Lee, to scope out the event and give me the inside scoop to all the happenings of the event. Check out his guest post below.

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Arriving on the scene in the Meatpacking district to a dark building complete with a heavy set security guard out front was quite intimidating. It was also quite weird to be in front of a lounge in broad daylight and sober. As I entered the dark hallway I wondered what to expect from this Blackberry Playbook Press Event.

I was warmly greeted by Adriana, a friend of Erin’s who was very nice and smiley. I told her the situation - Erin can’t make it, so instead she sent her handsome, charming and quick witted (and single) cousin. I was ushered into the event room without a hitch. First thing I noticed was that by wearing a bright rainbow checkered shirt I stood out in a sea of New York black.

The room looked nice and full of trees, hanging benches and lots of natural daylight - though surveying the room all I could see were suits, I guess most of the attendees were tech-savvy / business people, you know those non-artsy types who stress about numbers all day. So is BB’s first foray into the tablet market supposed to be aimed at these people? You know the ones that are anti-Apple but want to wait for the Blackberry brand cuz they are so addicted their Crackberry, sorry Android, you lose. We’d soon find out.

With no cute boys to really ogle, I headed to the first place where I knew there had to be a hot guy - the bar. At these events the bartenders are always hot, and bartenders flirt with EVERYONE. No exception here - the bartender was sure a hottie, he was slinging out Blackberry inspired cocktails which were fruity and yummy. After quickly downing a cocktail I felt a bit more at ease.

I pounced on Alex, a rep from Blackberry, to talk about the PlayBook and test it out firsthand. The first thing he showed me was the game Need For Speed. Really? A game? If he read me right the first thing he would’ve shown me is the new Lady Gaga video on YouTube or a Judy Garland performance. This tablet supports flash - so for those of you who have websites with flash, put away that iPad and flash (haha) one of these babies to show it off in full glory! (Note from Erin: While iPad’s don’t run flash but the YouTube app for iPad runs most YouTube videos without too many problems)

The PlayBook is thinner than the iPad and also smaller (7-inch screen) which I found to be nicer than the iPad, as it could easily fit into one of my pockets (well one of my coat pockets). The back is a soft rubber, and not the shiny plastic variety that can get scratched up easily.

Yet another advantage over the iPad? Two cameras – one in the back and one in the front, both shoot HD video. The back camera is 5 mega pixels while the front is 3 -not great but not bad either. Check out how the camera looks on the above left.

While I think the touch screen sensitivity is a bit better on the iPad, PlayBooks will improve with future software upgrades. I’m also told that it will be much easier for developers to make applications for the Playbook as well. Currently Java support is in the works. Overall I was quite impressed with it, though personally I’d hold out for the new iPad 2 (because I love Apple and dislike everything else), but if you feel the same way about your Blackberry than this tablet is definitely for you. Also a great option if you’re looking for something a little more portable to take with you on the go.

With the hard part of my job finished I went back to the hottie bartender, stuffed my mouth with some delicious canapés, swigged another cocktail and headed out on my way. Blackberry Playbook, you were pretty cool, I’d touch you again for sure, call me.

Release date and pricing TBD.