RIM to pre-install 7digital Music Store on BlackBerry PlayBook

Research In Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM) will pre-install digital media solutions provider 7digital's Music Store on its forthcoming BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, promising consumers access to more than 13 million MP3s. According to RIM, PlayBook users will be able to search for tracks, albums and artists, and may preview selections before making a purchase--the 7digital Music Store also touts recommendation tools to help consumers discover new music. Download fees for BlackBerry PlayBook users will mirror pricing on 7digital.com, with individual tracks and albums priced according to each customer's local currency.

The 7digital platform spans over 30 countries and more than 500 partners, including Samsung, Toshiba, Spotify and AOL/Winamp. The company also boasts deals with all four major record labels: Universal Music Group, EMI Music, Warner Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment.

RIM first announced the BlackBerry PlayBook in September 2010. Featuring a seven-inch LCD touchscreen, dual HD cameras and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth 2.1 support, the PlayBook touts Adobe Flash-enabled web browsing, multitasking and high-definition multimedia playback, as well as out-of-the-box enterprise support. According to RIM, the BlackBerry Tablet OS is built upon the QNX Neutrino microkernel architecture and boasts full POSIX compliance, offering developers easy portability of C-based code alongside support for Open GL for 2D and 3D graphics-intensive applications (e.g., gaming). RIM notes the Tablet OS also supports Java, enabling developers to translate existing BlackBerry 6 apps to the PlayBook format, and runs apps built in Adobe Mobile AIR.

RIM later confirmed the new BlackBerry Tablet OS powering the PlayBook eventually will replace its current BlackBerry smartphone operating system across all devices the company produces. The transition is expected to take several years, with RIM likely to introduce BlackBerry 7 to bridge the gap.

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