RIM introduces BlackBerry Playbook ahead of 19 April launch

RIM's New York launch party for its PlayBook tablet, which will go on sale on 19 April, was overshadowed by a row with the BBC.

The event was designed to generate interest in the PlayBook ahead of the launch, but was marred by chief executive Mike Lazaridis's interview with the BBC, which he ended abruptly when questioned about the company's problems in the Middle East and India.

The company had reportedly planned to have Lazaridis, or co-chief executive Jim Balsillie, make a speech at the event, but instead senior executives mingled at the party demonstrating the new tablet and no official statement was made.

Forrester senior analyst Sarah Rotman Epps was at the launch and reported on her blog that the tablet, while impressive in some ways, still had a long way to go before it rivalled the abilities of Apple's iPad

"It's a racecar that's missing a wheel. The PlayBook is a powerful device with solid hardware, lighter and more compact than the iPad. But by requiring a Bluetooth connection to a BlackBerry phone for basic applications like email, calendar, and IM, RIM has sacrificed consumer-friendliness for CIO peace of mind," she said.

Rotman Epps added that the device had very positive features, including a fast QNX operating system, full multi-tasking and good Flash handling. However, she concluded that the tablet was still very much a work in progress.