[Dubdub]

The idea that Android apps would soon be supported on the BlackBerry PlayBook has filled many people with optimism in regards to the struggling tablet. It would be a quick way to expand the applications that are available for the PlayBook, give developers more revenue streams and in general just be awesome.

Sadly, it doesnxxx8217;t look it will be quite as awesome as everyone hoped.

According to Thinq, RIM engineers were speaking today at Droidcon in Romania today where they went over some of the features that will not be compatible with the Android layer running on top of the PlayBooks QNX operating system. The list, sadly, is fairly lengthy:

Key features which will be unavailable to Android apps running under the compatibility layer on the PlayBook and future BlackBerry devices include Androidxxx8217;s famed battery-sucking Live Wallpaper, SIP and SIP VoIP, anything built using the Native Development Kit, apps containing only App Widgets, and apps containing more than one activity tied to the Launcher.

In addition, any packages which rely on Google Maps, in-app billing services, Androidxxx8217;s text-to-speech engine, or the cloud-to-device messaging system will all be rendered unusable under the companyxxx8217;s runtime system.

While I donxxx8217;t think anyone will die without the live wallpapers, the rest of the list makes it sound like the only things that will run will be xxx8230; well xxx8230; not a whole lot. Yes, some things will function, but it is certainly not going to be like the two operating systems are going to be nearly as compatible as was originally hoped for.

This, unfortunately, makes the prospect of the Android apps riding to the rescue of the BlackBerry PlayBook a little less likely than it did even a few days ago, but wexxx8217;ll have to wait for actual implementation to see just how bad it truly is.


http://www.technobuffalo.com/compani...-the-playbook/

[daphne]

Honestly I would not want the PlayBook to run all the Android apps and connect to the Android Market. If I wanted an Andoid tablet, I would have bought one. The Android Market has had a big problem with malicious apps because they are not tested and vetted by Google. I can't see that would every happen with any RIM device.

Android now worst platform for malware | TG Daily

[Dubdub]

I would be happy if it just had the basic BB apps, i.e. email.

[ArgonNJ]

RIM should just go ahead and cancel the Playbook now. It's nothing but a huge flop.

[daphne]

Troll much?

[Soapm]

Originally Posted by ArgonNJ

RIM should just go ahead and cancel the Playbook now. It's nothing but a huge flop.

Agreed... and if you have one I will sacrifice and take it off your hands so you don't have to lower the quality of your trash with this despicable device...

[hrbuckley]

Not surprising at all when you think of it. You can run your favorite virtualization system on a desktop and have the benefits of many machines with many OSs at your fingertips. But some things are only really supported by running an OS on the actual hardware. This is a continually improving situation but anyone who expected the Android Player to be the same as having an Android device hiding in the tabled was dreaming. And, as daphne says, if you want an Android tablet, buy an Android tabet.

Personally I prefer the BP, but will welcome the extra flexability the player will give me, but agree with Dubdub, filling the holes in the native application base will do far more to make the PB a better tool than making some Android apps available will.

[CFJSS]

Originally Posted by ArgonNJ

RIM should just go ahead and cancel the Playbook now. It's nothing but a huge flop.

Here let me adjust your soap box for you

I am hopeful this and the upcoming OS2 will make the playbook exactly what everyone wants
I for one like and use my playbook daily

[penguin3107]

Liking your Playbook, and using it daily, is wonderful for you. I'm sure you're not alone either.

However, if you think the PlayBook wasn't a total flop for RIM, you're delusional.
Not only do I agree that RIM should cease production, I still think they should have never even made an attempt at entering the tablet market to begin with. This was a doomed product from day 1.

[rambo47]

Originally Posted by ArgonNJ

RIM should just go ahead and cancel the Playbook now. It's nothing but a huge flop.

Your beloved WP7 was a disaster before the "NoDo" update, and even that didn't help much. Heck, even Microsoft's Xbox was a commercial disaster for YEARS before it caught on. And that took some huge capital investments and fancy marketing footwork (buying Bungee, making Halo Xbox-only).

The original iPhone was a train wreck at launch. How many updates did it take before copy/paste was included?

The PlayBook is a rev.1 device and a work in progress. But hey, lets abandon it now and just call it a day, huh?

[jsconyers]

Originally Posted by rambo47

Your beloved WP7 was a disaster before the "NoDo" update, and even that didn't help much. Heck, even Microsoft's Xbox was a commercial disaster for YEARS before it caught on. And that took some huge capital investments and fancy marketing footwork (buying Bungee, making Halo Xbox-only).

The original iPhone was a train wreck at launch. How many updates did it take before copy/paste was included?

The PlayBook is a rev.1 device and a work in progress. But hey, lets abandon it now and just call it a day, huh?

I wouldn't say the Xbox was a commercial disaster. The Xbox sold 123,000 units out of an approximate quarter million shipped units in the first three days. That is more than the Xbox 360 sold. The 360 sold 62,135 units sold of the 159,000 consoles shipped in the first two days--almost half of the original console launch.

As for the iPhone, I wouldn't say it was a train wreck at launch either. In fact, there were people lined out outside of the Apple store days before the device was launched. It reached 1 million units sold in just 74 days. The only thing that was a train wreck about it was the fact that the dropped the price two months after its release, thus screwing the early adopters. As for copy and paste, yeah it was missing that for a while, but if you never had it, how does one miss it?

As for the PlayBook. I think it was rushed out WAY too early. No native email client is a huge mistake, WiFi only with no option for a 3G unit is another mistake. Sprint dropped the possibility of carrying a 4G unit. The unit was rushed out, not even half-baked, but way under-cooked. When QNX 2 is released, it should be a lot better, but still, it's too little too late IMHO.

[ArgonNJ]

Maybe not so trollish after all. RIM denies it of course.

RIM reportedly bails on PlayBook, considers exiting tablet market [updated]

[daphne]

This isn't the first time this rumor (lie) has been published. BGR is not a credible source.

[jsconyers]

Originally Posted by ArgonNJ

Maybe not so trollish after all. RIM denies it of course.

RIM reportedly bails on PlayBook, considers exiting tablet market [updated]

RIM calls PlayBook discontinuation xxx039;pure fictionxxx039;

[hrbuckley]

They're also ponying up the hardware. They have announced they are giving way 16GB PB to DevCon attendees to "help kick start development". Don't know that it will help much, but it will at least put them in circulation. What will I do with two?

[ZombieBerry]

Originally Posted by hrbuckley

They're also ponying up the hardware. They have announced they are giving way 16GB PB to DevCon attendees to "help kick start development". Don't know that it will help much, but it will at least put them in circulation. What will I do with two?

At $850 USD registration, it's not exactly free now is it?

[hrbuckley]

Originally Posted by ZombieBerry

At $850 USD registration, it's not exactly free now is it?

You're right. With air fare, hotel and meals that would make it the most expensive PB; if someone as only going there to get the PB they would be pretty dumb, no question.

[ArgonNJ]

I'll bet you a years pay the Playbook will be history by 2012. It costs too much and does very little.

[ZombieBerry]

Originally Posted by ArgonNJ

I'll bet you a years pay the Playbook will be history by 2012. It costs too much and does very little.

Potential aside, the PB does quite a lot. It's just a pita to get it to do these things...LoL

I wouldn't be so quick to count the PB as dead. Past experiences (The same ones that have shown us their inability to stick to a timeline, or even announce one) have shown that RIM will support older 'obsolete' devices (handsets), while in it's present state the PlayBook does not offer much to the non-BlackBerry user, why not wait until after the Devcon and make a prediction?

I will hold off judgement until I SEE what they have done and figure out the ultimate direction they will be taking with their tablet.

[NJBlackBerry]

Argon is well known for expressing opinions that change every six months. He was an Apple fanboi long before he started touting whatever it is he uses today until the Next Big Thing comes along.

Loving that new Mango update Arg?

It is nice that he promoted BGRs inaccurate web posting today. Good to know that he follows rumors so religiously.

Wow.