Quote:
Originally Posted by 0rland0
I might be called a blasphemer for thinking this but, just wondering if the PlayBook's hardware can actually run (the) Android OS? I mean, I love my PlayBook's hardware specs and all but the lack of apps really is it's sore point.
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You're not a blasphemer. If an Andoid tablet, an iPad, or a net book even, are a better fit for your requirements then that is what you should have bought. There really is very little difference (from a computing science stand point) between the hardware of any of the current crop of tablets. I suspect that RIM could come out with a version of Android that would run very well on the PlayBook. The world doesn't need another Android tablet though so I hope they never do.
I'm climbing on my soap box here, so fair warning. The reason to buy a PlayBook instead of an iPad or Android tablet is because it provides something those other platforms don't and can't. For me that is the Bridge and
Balance. Which is why I don't care when or even if they ever come out with native email. It will just be something taking up space that I don't use. Climbing off soap box.
You can see in an other thread how some people have had success running a very early release of the Android environment on the PlayBook. But you need to be clear on two points: the Android player is not intended, nor has it been marketed as, a solution to run Android application unmodified on the PlayBook; the player is targeted at running Andoid 2.x apps (the phone version) not Android 3.x apps (the tablet version). Having seen first hand the power of the leaked version I would not be surprised if it could run the vast majority of Android apps straight out of the Market (if there is a way to get them installed, and there probably is). But the documented route is for Andoroid developers to re-package their apps and make them available through AppWorld. At that point they should look and act like PlayBook apps.
Having this ability should open up a lot, but not necessarily all, Android applications to BlayBook users. That is definitely a good thing, but having a PlayBook will never be the same as having an Android tablet. It may be "as good as" for your what you need or want, only time will tell.