RIM unveils its tablet, the 'PlayBook'

Playbook!

Research in Motion today unveiled its first tablet offering called the "PlayBook."

The device is due early next year in the U.S., with international availability coming in the second quarter of 2011. RIM has not yet announced a price.

The 7-inch, 9.7mm-thick tablet, which was debuted by RIM's President and co-CEO Mike Lazaridis at the company's DevCon event in San Francisco, features an HTML5-capable browser, both front- and rear-facing HD cameras, and HDMI and USB ports.

On the inside, the PlayBook runs off of a 1GHz dual-core chip and has 1GB of built-in RAM. It will also come with a special version of the BlackBerry software that features multitasking and 1080p video playback. Other specs of note include 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi and support for Adobe Flash 10.1.

Lazaridis said that the device is "enterprise ready" and that it will fit in with the company's existing server architecture. The company said in a press release that it plans on "working with developers and select corporate customers next month to begin development and early testing efforts."

Of note, the initial version of the PlayBook appears not to ship with a 3G or 4G cellular antenna. Instead, users are expected to pair the device with their BlackBerry phones (via Bluetooth) to enable data connectivity when out of range of a Wi-Fi connection. The company's press release says it "intends to also offer 3G and 4G models in the future."