Not to be outdone by the Walmart anniversary sale deal, Staples have dropped down their PlayBook pricing on the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models.
You can pick up the 16GB model for just $99, the 32GB model is priced at $118 as is Walmart’s and the 64GB model is $219. These are also available online so hurry if you want one, they were still available as of this posting. The 64GB model is not that much of a drop and can be found at most stores at this price, but the 16GB is the lowest regular price.
All are over $50 and will qualify for free shipping.
staples is really being competitive with WM prices, nice. wish the 32 GB would drop a bit more though.
Me too, I might be tempted by the higher GB one.
all out of stock at staples online – wonder how this compares to the ipads?
Depends what you are looking for in a tablet. Pricewise, you are getting a decent tablet for a lot less than an iPad but the apps etc differ
You could probably price match the staples price at another store since they are all pushing the 32GB this week.
You can’t beat this in the bang for buck department. The playbook has a bad rap, but it’s WELL worth more than these prices. Jump on it, it’s a great platform, in an awesome size.
Why is this one so cheap? What is lacking compared to iPad? I’m looking to get one for my kindergarten kid who would use it for ebooks and other educational apps
Specs for Specs PlayBook is equal or better than IPAD. Not to mention the low low price that you can’t get from any other maker beside Apple. C’mon not even a Kindle or Kobo cost that low and they are just EReader. Essentially, RIM screw up big time before, during and after launch of this tablet. In short they fumbled. You can argue till the cow comes home which is better but I’ll let you google other sites to decide yourself. Just a disclaimer, I owned Imac and Ipod Touch before I got a 64G PlayBook which I pay $350, down from the original price of $700. Both Staple and Wal Mart had limited quantity and ran out before most people even realized. If you really wanted one, go to Thesource.ca, where you can choose to pick up at nearest store or ship free to your home. 16G @ 129.99, 32G@$149.99 and 64G@$199.99. Again these are a steal at these prices. If money is not an issue, I would go with the 64G. You will not regret it. The operation system of QNX is the next big thing in mobile devices.
I am a gadget junkie and… Well, the price was right for picking up one of these things a few months ago. I am an avid Apple products consumer but the iPad is missing from my collection, so I cannot compare the two.
I can however give you my opinion about the Playbook and how it compares to the Apple experience. I have to say the PB is stunning in terms of screen crispness (is that a word??), build, and size. The only reason I haven’t tried an iPad is the size – 10″ is just too big for me. I don’t find it portable enough & my smallish hands just don’t feel comfortable. I find the 7″ tablets perfect for my needs. Now what EXACTLY are those needs?? I already have a desktop, a netbook, and a smartphone (ahem, re-read 1st sentence). But I wanted a tablet for… Well I don’t know, really. Watch movies/tv on the train? Read books? Play games? In any case, I ended up with the PB (couldn’t beat the price!). Now, putting aside the perfect size, a solid-feel build, excellent display, and decent OS, for someone who’s lived on the Apple eco-system for the last 8ish years, the biggest shock is not finding interesting/useful/entertaining apps for the RIM OS!! For me, the tablet is the ultimate media consumption device, so if I can’t consume media on it, what does it do for me? The stock eReader app is the Kobo, and if you start tinkering with the PB you can get around to the Amazon Kindle utility. But not auite as easilu as opening up an app & starting to read a book.
The reality is that developers have been on the fence about investing their time/money in developping apps for a struggling platform, and that is painfully apparent. So if there are no decent apps for it… What’s the point? I wish it were different, but as beautiful the technology is, it’s pretty useless to me. For now, I use it strictly as an eReader and occasional internet surfing tool. If you’re looking for tons of apps/games, the PB may not be the best choice. Take a look at what’s available in the App World, and ask yourself what you’ll use it for. Even at such a low price, it could become a beautiful paperweight.
Patiently waiting for the release of a mini iPad. Oh and – the PB never came on a trip with me, in the 6 months I’ve had it…