Best Buy Lowers Price Of BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet

RIM has experienced a few setbacks with its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. Although the tablet has received some positive press including being approved for Federal use, the tablet still isn't selling as well as retailers or RIM hoped. As we recently saw with the HP TouchPad, price can make a big difference in how well a tablet sells.

Best Buy recognizes that price matters to consumers. The retailer is offering a nice discount on BlackBerry PlayBook tablets. Although the $150 discount doesn't begin to compare to the fire-sale prices of the HP TouchPad, it's still a significant discount. Now, you'll be able to pick up the 64GB PlayBook for $550. To compare, keep in mind that Apple's 64GB iPad sells for $700.

RIM's 16GB and 32GB BlackBerry PlayBook models are also discounted on Best Buy's site, though the discounts are not as substantial as the 64GB model. You can now pick up the 16GB PlayBook for $450. The 32GB model is available for $550. Given these prices, we're not quite sure why anyone would pick the 32GB model when the 64GB PlayBook is available for the same price. At this time, it's also unclear how long this "sale" on the PlayBook will last.

What do you think? Does a discounted PlayBook appeal to you? Will a lower price help RIM and Best Buy sell additional tablets?