$200 BlackBerry PlayBook is Back: Six Must Have PlayBook Apps

By Anthony Myers | December 22 2011 5:40 PM

Photo: Electronic Arts Inc.

#1 Dead Space - $200 BlackBerry PlayBook is Back: Six Must Have PlayBook Apps

A great first person shooter, Dead Space is a dark, haunting game that allows you to use five different weapons to stave off the Necromorph onslaught through six different types of environment. The graphics will push the PlayBook and show off what it can do. It does cost $10, but it's well supported because a new update just came out.

Photo: Poynt Corporation

#2 Poynt - $200 BlackBerry PlayBook is Back: Six Must Have PlayBook Apps

One of the first PlayBook apps is also one of its best. Poynt lets you look up things nearby like weather and restaurants and then it can send the contact info from the restaurant right to your phone! For weather, it changes the background of the app accordingly. But it also works for local movie times and theater performances. Poynt is free.

Photo: FlexibleAIR

#3 Doodle Blast - $200 BlackBerry PlayBook is Back: Six Must Have PlayBook Apps

A fun puzzle game that people love, the graphics say it all. Doodles come to life! The object is to guide falling marbles and not use up the ink that you have. It's also free.

Photo: News360

#4 News360 - $200 BlackBerry PlayBook is Back: Six Must Have PlayBook Apps

A fine RSS reader, News360 is good for general interest news and offers the ability to open a news Web site right in the app. It's a fluid look that is very intuitive. News360 is also free.

Photo: CS54 INC

#5 Comb Over Charlie - $200 BlackBerry PlayBook is Back: Six Must Have PlayBook Apps

Charlie is a fish. He has a comb over. After getting made fun of one too many times, Charlie is taking matters into his own hands, and you know what that means. Blowing up enemy fishes! With good visuals and a catchy soundtrack, it's worth the one dollar price tag.

Photo: Aftab

#6 File Browser - $200 BlackBerry PlayBook is Back: Six Must Have PlayBook Apps

There is no dedicated file system browser on PlayBook, so you need to plug it into a computer to copy, rename and organize files. File Browser has many functions including create folders, make ZIP files, delete files, and thumbnail views for images. Pair the PlayBook with your BlackBerry smartphone using bluetooth and File Browser gives you access to those files. It's only a dollar and can simplify things fast.

BlackBerry PlayBook tablets first went on sale for $200 back in early November and they didn't take long to sell out of stock at Best Buy and RadioShack. Now, Research In Motion, the company that makes BlackBerry, has replenished supplies in time for last minute holiday shoppers, and after you get one you'll need some apps. There are plenty of apps in the BlackBerry App World for smartphones, but fewer that were optimized just for the PlayBook or adapted to run on both.

PlayBook has not had a good run of it, and RIM itself has been raked over the coals for taking a $300 million plus hit for unsold tablets. Tech industry politics aside, for $200, PlayBook is a great deal. At seven inches, it's super portable and it has a comfy rubberized back panel to make it easier to hold. One of its drawbacks related to that is the device's look itself. It's not a sleek, sexy looking device and it doesn't jump out at you when you see it in the store next to the other tablets. But, inside, it's got stable custom software, intuitive multitasking, speed, good resolution and 16 gigabytes of internal storage. Start the slideshow to see the six must have PlayBook apps you need if you get one (or two). Tell us in the comments if you are last minute tablet shopping.