We've still only had a few glimpses of the BlackBerry PlayBook in action but RIM is telling developers a little more about how the operating system and interface will look and the way you'll be able to work with it.
It has also confirmed that the PlayBook will be available with 16GB, 32GB or 64GB and unlike some cheaper Android tablets it will definitely have a 1GHz processor.
The first PlayBook will have a 7" screen, with a 1024 by 600 resolution but reminders to developers to design their UI for 'different screen sizes' and to use percentages rather than absolute sizes hint again at the multiple screen sizes we've predicted in the past.
To make sure the interface makes sense at different screen sizes, apps don't have to fit just in the current screen size or split functionality into different dialogs: it's just fine to scroll off screen. RIM talks about a 'limitless' screen that users can tap and swipe their way through.
BIG APPS: Apps run full screen but they don't have to fit inside the screen size; you can scroll down for more
The style of apps is going to be more like the flat look of Windows Phone than the buttons you see in iPhone apps; RIM is encouraging developers to make the content work as the navigation. So in a list of headlines you won't pick one and click on an 'Open' button; you'll just tap on the headline.
Extra features that don't fit with that flow should go on the menu, which you open with a BlackBerry Storm-style gesture, swiping your finger down from the top of the screen.
TOUCH TYPE: The PlayBook on-screen keyboard
Some apps will also have popup menus that appear when you press and hold your finger on the screen the way you can on the Torch and Storm. We haven't spotted a physical menu button on the PlayBook prototypes we've seen either, so get used to gestures; dragging your finger up from the bottom of the screen shows the horizontal strip of running applications RIM calls the navigator.
BUSINESS AS USUAL: Familiar BlackBerry styles for buttons and lists
MEDIA PLAYER: Use your finger for gestures and on-screen controls
Dragging in from either side of the screen will switch you straight to the next or previous application that's running. We're hoping that doesn't get confusing; if you're swiping to scroll through the content in the current app, you don't want to accidentally trigger the menu or even switch to the next app.
If you want to pick some text or one item in a list (like an email or a photo), use press-and-hold; if you want to select a long section of text, touch the beginning of the text with one finger and the end with another (at the same time). And as with almost every touch screen device now, you can use two fingers to pinch and zoom.
KEEPING TIDY: Tabs organise your apps so it's not just one overwhleming list
You can also use your fingers to drag the progress bar in a song or video to move forward or back and to change the volume, if you don't want to use the physical media buttons on the side of the PlayBook.
Apps can still have buttons and check boxes, including 'toggle' buttons that you can tap or drag to change the setting on.
Buttons, lists and text all have the familiar BlackBerry look and they'll switch with the style of the theme in use. The PlayBook will come with two themes; the default is black text on a grey and white background but you can switch to white text on black.
SWITCH THEME: PlayBook will have a standard white theme and an optional black theme
We haven't seen tools for creating new themes, but there are ways for developers to 'skin' their buttons with their own design style.
Unlike the home screen on BlackBerry OS 6 which mixes system and application notifications in wherever they fit above and below the date and time, the home and navigator screen on the PlayBook is much tidier – it puts notifications from apps on the top left and all the status icons for the system on the top right.
You can tap the notification to see the details. You won't see the notification bar in third-party apps at all (just like on the BlackBerry today) and when you do see it in RIM apps like the official media player it seems to be more consistent (even in BlackBerry OS 6, you see the signal strength in all the RIM apps but others appear and disappear - the battery icon shows up in Messages but not in Contacts).
TO THE LEFT: App notifications go on the left side of the screen
TO THE RIGHT: System status notifications go on the right side of the screen
All in all, the new user interface looks like it's going to tidy up the look of BlackBerry even more than OS 6 has and make it a bit more fun and colourful.
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