RIM gives away money and booze to get people to try the PlayBook

Research in Motion is throwing a two-week-long “BlackBerry PlayBook Experience” in New York City’s Chelsea Market to help hype its tablet, and it really wants people to come. Guests are welcomed to the extravaganza with a bevy of freebies: food, drinks, raffle tickets for RIM goods—they’ll even hand over a $10 bill to anyone willing to stay longer than 10 minutes and fill out a short survey. In addition to the barrage of giveaways, RIM has organized guest appearances from musicians, mixologists, authors and artists until the “experience” ends on July 23. We’re not denying that people like free stuff, but will that translate into a more hopeful future for the PlayBook? Seems like an awfully expensive gamble for a company that’s looking to cut costs and just found out it has a hefty legal settlement to pay. [Huffington Post]