RIM optimistic over PlayBook sales in the UAE

BlackBerry PlayBook tablet computer joins iPad on the UAE market next month.

SAN FRANCISCO - SEPTEMBER 27: RIM President and Co-Chief Executive Officer Mike Lazaridis announces the new BlackBerry PlayBook as he delivers a keynote address at the BlackberryDevCon 2010 on September 27, 2010 in San Francisco, California. California. The tablet computer will compete with Apples' iPad, supports 1080p HD video via HDMI, USB connectors and is Flash supported according to news reports.   Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/AFP== FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==
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DUBAI // The BlackBerry PlayBook tablet computer will be in UAE shops on June 12, the Canadian manufacturer Research in Motion (RIM) revealed yesterday.

The device will initially be available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions, but the prices have not yet been announced by retailers.

Last night, RIM, held an invitation-only preview for the PlayBook at Privé at the Armani hotel in the Burj Khalifa.

Mike al Mefleh, RIM's regional director of product management, said recently: "Taking into account all the features and the fact that the tablet market is growing, we are very optimistic that we will have a lot of success with the PlayBook."

The device has a seven-inch touch screen and, unlike its larger rival the Apple iPad, has no home button. Everything is controlled with touches and swipes of the finger. It has front and rear cameras and - again setting it apart from the Apple device - supports the Adobe Flash multimedia platform used to view online videos.

An app, called BlackBerry Bridge, lets the user connect a handset to a PlayBook via an encrypted Bluetooth connection. E-mail delivered to the phone can then be viewed on the tablet's larger screen.