$199 BlackBerry Playbook officially arriving soon to Best Buy, other retailers join in too

You’ve probably already heard about $199 BlackBerry PlayBooks about to hit shelves at various retailers just in time for the Holiday season, but up until now it was only whispers and leaked ads. Now, it’s official - RIM has tweeted that its 7-inch professional tablet, which the Canadians hoped would help them be on par with the iPad and the tablet market, will be discounted down from its original retail price of $500.

The list of retailers will include Staples, Best Buy, and Future Shop, but others could also join in. We've checked the retailers' listings and while the discount hasn't yet appeared, it should be there soon. Now, one thing we’re not really sure about is how long will this deal last, but it seems that it’s not going away as soon as those $100 HP TouchPads. 

Future will tell best about that, though, and with a dual-core processor, and a flashy QNX-based operating system, the PlayBook could be a viable option for some. A bonus feature? It looks almost exactly like the Amazon Kindle Fire. Or the other way around, if we take into account the release date. Which one would you pick as a gift for your nerdy loved ones?

source: @BlackBerry via TheVerge