Following months of rumors, RIM has finally unveiled its new slate called the PlayBook. Much like its BlackBerry smartphones, the company's tablet is largely aimed at enterprise users, but the average gadget enthusiast is also encouraged to pick one up, of course. The 7-inch device carries a 1GHz dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor, 1GB of RAM, and webOS-like multitasking.

Hardware specs are completed with dual HD cameras with support for 1080p recording (3MP in front, 5MP in back), 1080p video playback support with HDMI output, 802.11a/b/g/n, USB, and Bluetooth connectivity with other BlackBerry handsets. The PlayBook measures less than an inch thick and weighs under a pound (or 5.1 x 7.6 x 0.4 inches and 0.9lbs, if you want the raw numbers).


RIM's new device runs an OS built on the QNX Neutrino microkernel architecture, and software highlights include support for Flash 10.1, HTML5, and OpenGL. Both 3G and 4G models are coming, but exact details weren't provided. The PlayBook should hit retail outfits in the US sometime early next year, with international rollouts beginning in the second quarter of 2011. Devs can register for an SDK here.