RIM's PlayBook Update Takes a Stab at Erasing Underdog Title

, Research In Motion Limited

has released an incredibly necessary update for its PlayBook tablet. In what some might say is a gesture of “too little too late” proportions, the minds behind Blackberry have launched PlayBook OS 2.0 software. Amongst the several new features PlayBook owners will use, email is perhaps the most vital. “RIM explained that with PlayBook OS 2.0, owners will no longer have to make use of the Bridge BlackBerry application to access their email, contacts, and calendar on the tablet. These features are now built in. PlayBook OS 2.0 offers a unified inbox that can handle not only corporate and personal email, but can act as a social network hub and control messages from Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn,” informationweek.com reported. Touted as the “tablet that does it all – and then some” on RIM's website, PlayBook's most recent update finally attempts to push the boundaries and take users where they have never been before. For example, RIM boasts that its new features will give you more information about your contacts and the people and companies on your calendar. They are likely referring to People View, (a way to see who you will communicate with that day), built-in messages, or Documents to Go, a way for users to view and edit documents established with Word, Excel and PowerPoint. While the troubled company powers ahead with the software update and eventual release of the Blackberry 10, it has made one move that could potentially drive sales in the future, pending the success of its newest releases: Certain applications of the PlayBook will only be useful to those who coordinate the tablet with their Blackberry smartphones. “…if you use a PlayBook with a BlackBerry smartphone, you can, through an updated BlackBerry Bridge app, display documents, web pages, e-mails and photos that appear on your BlackBerry smartphone on the tablet. You can also take advantage of a remote control feature through Bridge that would let a BlackBerry smartphone be used as a wireless keyboard and mouse for PlayBook,” usatoday.com reported. Although RIM will likely continue to experience tribulations, no one can say they didn't try to turn their luck around. The PlayBook OS 2.0 software is currently available for download. RIM is currently trading at $15.14, up +1.69% YTD.