RIM BlackBerry PlayBook is a compelling choice at $199

Ricardo posted about the $199 RIM BlackBerry PlayBook limited time price drop and at this price it competes very well with the new Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet. If I didn't have an HTC Flyer, I would likely buy myself the PlayBook over the Fire or Nook and it is something you may want to consider.

I had a BlackBerry PlayBook for a few months and enjoyed using the device, but as a non-BlackBerry smartphone user it bored me after a while. In February RIM is scheduled to release the major OS 2.0 update that will add native email and Android support so if you don't mind waiting then getting one at these low prices is a decent deal. You can now purchase the 16GB model for $199.99 andthe 32GB one for $299.99, which is a savings of $300 off the MSRP. I see on BestBuy.com that the 16GB model is sold out so if you want one of these you need to start searching quickly.

The PlayBook beats both the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet in terms of specifications and has an enjoyable user interface powered by the QNX-based operating system. You can use the Kobo application for reading ebooks and get access to Kindle books through the cloud viewer. While the number of applications for the PlayBook may be lacking, the web browser is extremely powerful and lets you do just about everything you want through a near desktop class browser.

I think the decision to pick one up at these low prices is easy for BlackBerry smartphone owners, but for those of us without a BB phone there are several options to choose from now in the $200 range. Are you going to pick up one of these PlayBooks at the discounted price?