April 19th. This is a great after tax season present to myself.

This is such good news to wake up too. I'm so glad that I didn't make any other tablet purchases up to this point beyond my first iPad. The BlackBerry Playbook finally looks like it's ready to come out.  And, to be honest, you would have to see this thing to really believe it. Read the Press release below.

Today, RIM and Best Buy announced the pre-orders, pricing and launch date for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. The BlackBerry PlayBook with Wi-Fi will come in three models, featuring 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of storage at $499, $599 and $699 respectively. It is scheduled to be available on April 19 from all Best Buy stores and Best Buy Mobile stores in the U.S., as well as Best Buy and Future Shop* stores in Canada.  Customers in the U.S. and Canada can place their orders beginning today by visiting their local Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile or Future Shop store, or by ordering on-line (after 8 a.m. EDT) at:

·         U.S. – www.bestbuy.com/playbook

·         Canada – www.bestbuy.ca/blackberry  or www.futureshop.ca/blackberry

(*Future Shop stores operate as a division of Best Buy Canada Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Best Buy Co., Inc.)

Read the full RIM/Best Buy announcement at http://press.rim.com/release.jsp?id=4915.

Today, RIM also announced plans to make the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet available in more than 20,000 retail outlets in the U.S. and Canada. The BlackBerry PlayBook with Wi-Fi will be available in three models and will feature a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) starting at $499 in the U.S. and Canada. Read the full lineup of retailers and wireless carriers currently expected to carry the BlackBerry PlayBook in the U.S. and Canada at http://press.rim.com/release.jsp?id=4914.