Five Reasons Not To Buy A BlackBerry PlayBook

While the BlackBerry PlayBook is an enticing and impressive device, the tablet is a clear product of happens when manufacturers rush to release devices before they are ready. Below are five reasons to stay away from the premature PlayBook -- at least until RIM plugs the tablet's holes.

No Email, No Way

One of the largest and most significant criticisms facing the PlayBook so far is that the device lacks many of the most essential features available in other tablets. While most smartphones and tablets feature their own native email, calendar, and contacts client, the PlayBook does not. Instead, RIM offers PlayBook owners the ability to link the tablets to their BlackBerry phones to utilize the functionality. The company also recommends that users access their email accounts via the PlayBook's built-in web browser, a partial and mostly unhelpful solution.

No 3G

A 3G version of the PlayBook will be released this summer, making it yet another feature not included in the original PlayBook that really should have been. The only way to connect to a 3G network is to connect the PlayBook to your phone -- a solution, certainly, but not a very convenient one.

The PlayBook Has a Bad App-itude

The PlayBook's app situation is exactly what one might expect from a device that hasn't been officially released yet. Apps are increasingly becoming the bread-and-butter of tablets - and in that respect the PlayBook is starving. Barely 3000 apps will make it to the device in time for its release, making the PlayBook's app selection almost nonexistent in comparison to the ones offered by Google and Apple. Moreover, not even apps from important services like Facebook, Twitter, Angry Birds' are represented in the BlackBerry App World. Android apps will make it to the PlayBook eventually, according to RIM - but it certainly won't be soon enough.

You Don't Own A BlackBerry

Much of the PlayBook's appeal comes from its status as a supplementary device to RIM's BlackBerry Phones. This means that, if you are one of the many people who do not own a BlackBerry, your use of the PlayBook will be severely limited. Without a BlackBerry, the PlayBook lacks essential features like email and a calendar and the ability to connect to 3G or 4G connections.

It's For Kids

While the PlayBook is billed as the working man's tablet, its meager size makes it better-suited for his kids. Typing on the PlayBook's screen is oftentimes difficult, making the chance that businessmen will use the device to work on spreadsheets, presentations and word documents extremely slim.