Now is the time to get a PlayBook

Have you been hemming and hawing about buying a BlackBerry PlayBook? I don’t blame you one little bit. I’ve been in the same boat. Like most BlackBerry fans, I definitely want one. It provides a completely different experience than the iPad and the slew of Android tablets on the market, and it works with your existing BlackBerry smartphone. Yet it just doesn’t seem ready yet. Sure, it reportedly sold well after the initial launch, but there seems to be no pressing urge to go out and get one. That will all change soon, though. In fact, the time to pick up the PlayBook might be right now.

First, the PlayBook will be receiving a couple of critical software updates in the next month or so. This month we should see native email and calendar apps, which are absolutely necessary for the PlayBook. Plenty of users have gotten by with webmail previously, but the addition of RIM’s best-in-market email and calendar systems will be a great boon for PlayBook users. The Android player, which will give PlayBook users access to Android apps, is also coming soon, though there have been rumors of a delay. Still, it doesn’t figure to be far off, even if it is pushed back a few weeks. Second, the price is coming down. Specifically, Best Buy is offering a steep discount on the most expensive PlayBook model. That’s the 64GB version, and it now costs only $550 at Best Buy locations. That’s a $150 discount from the original. The other two models, 32GB and 16GB, have also seen $50 price cuts, bringing them to $450 and $550. Clearly, the 32GB is a waste at this point, since the 64GB model costs the same. There might have been reasons to wait for the PlayBook. But now that it’s about to get native email and calendar apps, plus a slew of Android apps, the time is coming to buy. You might as well jump in now, while the gettings are good at Best Buy. You can head to Best Buy’s PlayBook page to snap one up. Apparently these are limited-time offers, so get in now. You might regret it later when the PlayBook actually does get these features — and is full-price.