Make no mistake about it: I still believe that the BlackBerry PlayBook is still an excellent tablet. Even after a full year on the market it reigns supreme over so many competitors. That’s partly because Android tablets in general have been disappointing. But it’s also because the PlayBook is downright fun. Now, with more apps via Android porting, native PIM apps, and the BlackBerry Movie Store, the PlayBook stacks up with some of the best. It’s still missing some streaming video apps that you see on other platforms, but otherwise it’s simply a killer tablet. And now it’s dirt cheap.
Remember during the holiday season when the PlayBook got discounted to $200 for the 16GB model? That was almost necessary. Tablets were clearly the hot tech item for the holiday season, and the competition was fierce. There was not only the iPad 2 to contend with, but a number of higher end Android tablets. The Samsung Galaxy Tab, for instance, got plenty of hype.
With these high-end tablets checking in at $500, RIM had little choice but to lower their price. Soon after, the price predictably went up.
Yet since then the PlayBook has improved, thanks to the 2.0 OS hitting in February. And yet, the PlayBook is still dirt cheap. Yes, you can get the 16GB for under $200. The 32GB model is less than $50 more than that, and the 64GB model is under $300. That makes these models considerably cheaper than the iPad 2, which just got discounted.
Again, the PlayBook is not perfect. But few tablets are ready for prime time. Apple pretty much owns the market with the new iPad and the iPad 2. But after that it’s a wild wild west kind of market. The PlayBook is superior on many levels. This new price tag should entice plenty of people who otherwise would not have bought at a tablet to dive right in.
The price is certainly right.
16GB PlayBook: $198.95
32GB PlayBook: $242.75
64GB PlayBook: $292.99
It’s hard to imagine finding a better bang for your buck in the tablet market.
2 comments… read them below or add one
I bought a 16gb for $200 bucks here in Canada. At the time that I bought it (around xmas) I wouldn’t have paid more than 250 for the tablet. Now after I have used the playbook, I would probably pay upwards of $350 for the tablet if the price went up that high. Great device.
My playbook 64GB was a surprise purchase bought for Christmas. It coincides with my blackberry smart phone which allows more convenience on the go. Compared to the Ipad I am satisfied with my choice. LOVE IT!! :D