RIM commits to sell PlayBook for under $500

When the PlayBook was first unveiled, rumors were floating around that it did not actually exist in physical form. Well, RIM squashed those rumors at the Adobe Max conference with a carefully illustrated demo and final unveiling.

Now, just a couple of weeks later, the company has announced that it plans to sell the PlayBook for under $500, beginning in North America in the first quarter.

If RIM can actually succeed in coming to market in the first quarter, and at a price point under $500, it could have a chance at sustaining itself in what will then be a very crowded tablet market. I couldn't help watching the demo of the PlayBook (see below) and have to say that it definitely appears to have some legs. Granted it's a drastic departure from the traditional offerings by RIM, so that part will certainly be kept top-of-mind by the public when looking at the PlayBook when compared to the iPad and the Samsung Tab.

I originally thought that the PlayBook was going to be gobbled up by corporate America. However, given the price point of the iPad, and rumored second version of the iPad potentially hitting the market before the PlayBook gets out, the PlayBook is going to have a bit of a challenge wooing customers away from Tabs and iPads.