by Bruce Tyson

Created on: February 24, 2012

Consumers standing in line, eagerly anticipating the new RIM PlayBook 2.0 have a lot to look forward to. Some lucky ducks got their hands on this coveted device during the DevCon show in Amsterdam. They have the chance to load PlayBook OS 2.0 beta (that’s right, RIM still has not finished work on PlayBook OS 2.0) and see what the rest of the world can only dream of having: a new RIM PlayBook.

The following list describes some things to expect from the PlayBook 2.0 (For all those envious folks who did not snag one of these beauties in Amsterdam). QNX, remote control (Bridge) and Flash compatibility only begin to tell the story of the only device worthy of continuing the PlayBook legacy.

Android Compatibility

PlayBook 2.0 users can look forward to having the ability to run at least some Android applications. No one seems to know why consumers who want to run Android apps would buy a PlayBook instead of an Android-powered tablet, but they can.

Cascades-Based User Interface

RIM has equipped PlayBook 2.0 with a new eye-popping Cascades interface. This interface imparts a lot of beauty into the tablet that accentuate BlackBerry style.

New Messaging Apps

What good is tablet without new messaging apps? PlayBook 2.0 owners have access to these cool apps that let them send text messages, instant messages, email messages... all kinds of messages. Wow.

New CEO

Did anyone mention that struggling RIM replaced its CEO? Some analysts believe that the new knight in shining armor, Thorsten Heins will do more than haul in massive bonuses for leading an under-performing company. Heins says that RIM offers a seamless collaboration experience in PlayBook 2.0 that will help everyone connect to social networks in an intuitive way.

Calendar

According to Tech Radar, the way email messages integrate with other services like Calendar, Twitter and Facebook works a lot like Windows Phone. Has anyone ever seen Windows Phone? Why would any company want to make products that work like Windows Phone, one of the most resounding failures in the history of mobile devices? Hey – Calendar even interacts with LinkedIn.

Oh yes, when a user has a lot of meetings, the date in month view displays in a larger font.

BlackBerry Flow

PlayBook 2.0 makes having messages, appointments, photos, notes bouncing all around cyberspace natural. RIM incorporated its newly-acquired Gist social technology and Tungle sharing tools to make moving data around natural and as easy as pie.

HTML5

The chief software guru at RIM says that PlayBook 2.0 will have more HTML5 support than any other mobile device. This compatibility helps developers integrate apps with BBM.

Stampede

People need to chill before joining the stampeding consumers and business users who have already run out into the streets demanding access to the PlayBook 2.0. The device should hit stores by the end of this month, but it will come out for sure before Mobile World Congress.

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