RIM counters iPad with Playbook

The Waterloo-based company will release its version of the tablet computer in early 2011.

Five months after Apple released its hugely popular iPad device, the makers of the BlackBerry have announced they will follow suit. At a developers’ meeting in San Francisco Monday, Research in Motion unveiled the Playbook tablet computer. It’s slightly smaller than the iPad and geared towards business rather than multimedia entertainment. The device is less than 10 mm thick and has a 7-inch screen. The Playbook can share a data plan with the BlackBerry and be linked to the smartphone with Bluetooth technology. It will be available in the U.S. in early 2011, followed by other markets later in the year.