If it’s possible to feel bad for a device, then I (and I’m sure I’m not alone here) feel bad for RIM’s PlayBook. The PlayBook isn’t a bad device, folks, I can assure you. Yet, this tablet hasn’t been selling well since its inception, and it has cost RIM millions of dollars. Why are people avoiding the PlayBook? Well, for starters, RIM didn’t bother equipping this tablet with email or a calendar (why? your guess is as good as mine). The PlayBook also doesn’t come with a ton of apps, but that is fixable on RIM’s part. The other main reason is that RIM originally priced the PlayBook at $499 (16GB).

Some people are willing to pay top dollar for an iPad 2. But, those people will be getting a tablet that has the basics like email and a calendar in addition to access to many different Apple apps. Other than the iPad2, no manufacturer has had a lot of luck selling a high-priced tablet. So, what’s a company like RIM to do with millions of dollars in losses and a tablet that still isn’t selling? Well, big name retailers have decided to slash PlayBook prices even more than they have already been slashed. You can now buy a PlayBook for $199, and that puts the PlayBook in Kindle price territory.

Updates Are Coming!

If you are tempted to take advantage of this rock-bottom PlayBook pricing, there’s something that you should know: RIM has pledged to stick behind the PlayBook. What’s more, the Canadian-based company has told press that it will be sending PlayBook owners an update soon (around March). That means that PlayBook users will have email, an address book, and possibly some new apps to play with. Make no mistake about it, RIM doesn’t want to go down without a very strong fight.

Since talks of a RIM takeover were circulating some time ago, it is encouraging news to hear that RIM has not yet been taken over. This may mean that all of you BlackBerry devotees will be able to hand onto your devices for awhile longer. Further, that PlayBook that you have (or may soon purchase) won’t be entirely useless. In short, RIM isn’t going anywhere, and the company plans to put more money into the PlayBook to (hopefully) begin turning a profit. All of these things considered, buying a PlayBook at $199 may not be such a foolish idea after all. Only, I wouldn’t make this tablet a gift buy quite yet – after all, the tablet isn’t a Fire or an iPad at the moment.

Where You Can Shop

If you’re loving the PlayBook or the thought of buying a perfectly good tablet for $199, you can find this amazing deal right now online and in stores. Don’t expect the PlayBook to drop all around though, since only certain retailers are slashing prices on this tablet. Also, you may not want to bank on the idea that RIM will drop PlayBook price again. I’m going to assume that the $199 deal is the lowest that this tablet will go.