PlayBook OS 2.0: Is Amateur Hour Finally Over?

Research In Motion showed off the much-anticipated software upgrade for the company’s widely maligned PlayBook tablet this week, and while it’s arguably nine months late, it does significantly improve the device.

But will it do RIM any good?

PlayBook OS 2.0 includes the native email and calendar programs that were inexplicably missing from its first generation, as well an Android app player. In other words, it’s the operating system that RIM should have launched with.

That said, it’s still lacking in a few areas. Specifically, PlayBook OS 2.0 doesn’t offer native support for BlackBerry Messenger, which is a glaring omission, though RIM is scrambling to address it.

So is this update enough to raise the PlayBook’s chances of mainstream success?

That’s a tough one. The competitive landscape for tablets is only growing stronger. The Kindle Fire seems to be picking up momentum, and March should bring with it the launch of a new iPad, which will undoubtedly present rivals with new challenges.

Even with a successful OS upgrade, RIM has a difficult road ahead of it. And already the calls of “too little, too late” have begun.

“We were impressed with new BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 features such as Android Player and fully integrated email, calendar, contacts, and social media feeds,” says Canaccord Genuity analyst T. Michael Walkley. “However, we believe OS 2.0 only narrows the gap with leading ecosystems iOS and Android. As a result, we believe sales of the improved Playbook could continue to struggle versus improving Android and iOS tablet offerings along with new entrants such as Amazon’s Fire and Windows 8 tablets later this year.”