[peter_betos]

I've already used Skype App on Android, iOS, Symbian, PSP, Windows Phone, and saw the one on Vita, and I understand now why they aren't developing the app for the playbook yet.

The apps on other platforms heavily rely on a concrete framework. What Playbook currently got is still AIR, Webkit, and NDK, that still doesn't have a fixed unified framework for most simple layout decisions yet (we may have QT, but the decision on how the elements will be rendered on a tablet profile is not yet concrete), thus the developers themselves will still need to figure out the layout on how every UI element on their app should look like, how every picture should render on their defined size, how the menus will be designed and positioned, etc.; almost every element on the layout to the tiniest detail will still need to be decided by the developer how they would render it, hence they are being very reluctant to do so. Other platforms already decide on how a developed app (using a framework) would look like for them, that sometimes even the kernel gets a say on how a UI element is rendered. You can refer to the screenshots below for pointers on other platforms.

Since the Playbook is still to launch Cascades, wherein the OS would already render the layout on how the feel of the Menus, Options, and Settings would look like, the Developers are still to assess the kit for that. The developers could not afford to make the decisions on the layout (especially coding it) that the OS should be responsible on doing, moreover when they are aware that the fixed layout decisions (i.e. Cascades framework) is already, but still, upcoming. That's why we still need to wait, sad to say.

Hope that helps.

[dbmalloy]

Interesting talke on an old topic.... add to the fact that the OS of choice by RIM will be BB10 later this year it would make sense for some developers to hold back till final OS is released.....

[BB_Bmore]

It's been said that some bigger devs are waiting on cascades.

[greatwiseone]

Check out Alec Saunders' tweet today....someone tweeted him why there are no major apps coming, and he tweeted back saying "many of them are waiting on the release of our cascades framework".

We'll hopefully see an influx of more apps once the Cascades SDK is launched!

[playbookster]

Yes, cascades will solve a lot of problems. By the end of this year the Playbook will feel like a new tablet again.

[varunsain]

OP, I hope you realize that if there's enough $$$, none of the problems you mentioned will exist..

What you said can be the reason.. but trust me it's not.

[peter_betos]

OP, I hope you realize that if there's enough $$$, none of the problems you mentioned will exist..

What you said can be the reason.. but trust me it's not.

Well, yeah, that, and let's just say there's this thing called "timeline" as well.

[RWD]

Cascades has been coming for over a year. When does it get here?

[rexrim]

usefull info..thanks alot bro

[borceg]

PB has too much different environments, and each of them is missing some important features needed to create good and useful app. That's why devs don't wanna develop for PB. I asked few devs(companies), responsible for the best gps apps available on other platforms (ex: navigon, garmin, copilot etc) and they said no plans for PB in near feature

[peter_betos]

PB has too much different environments, and each of them is missing some important features needed to create good and useful app. That's why devs don't wanna develop for PB. I asked few devs(companies), responsible for the best gps apps available on other platforms (ex: navigon, garmin, copilot etc) and they said no plans for PB in near feature

I'd say it's still very hard for them to start-up when they don't have a unified template to start with, aside from not having an Assisted GPS (AGPS) of course.

[Spencerdl]

Cascades has been coming for over a year. When does it get here?

I agree with what he said. How much longer must PlayBook enthusiasts wait, it's been over a year with excuses. Don't get me wrong I "luv" my PlayBook, but I'm tired of ALL the waiting for this and for that......it's getting tiresome.

[alistairtang]

what i don't get is why they are releasing another playbook (4g) without having this framework in place, surely it will just get shot down in reviews for lack of apps like the current playbook?

[kbz1960]

OP, I hope you realize that if there's enough $$$, none of the problems you mentioned will exist..

What you said can be the reason.. but trust me it's not.

Yes $$$ will make the tools needed work, not.

[OniBerry]

Windows threw a bucketload of $$$ around, and they hit the ground running. Wondering if RIM will do the same when Cascades is released.

[peter9477]

Cascades has been coming for over a year. When does it get here?

For us independent developers, next week... at least, those who can attend the BB10 Jam in Orlando.

What happens after remains to be seen. Ask again on May 3.

[lnichols]

Yes I received a tweet from Alec in response to a question about major non-game apps and the response was that they are waiting on Cascades. I hope that Cascades is going to be available on the Playbook before BB10 phones come out. If not then the Playbook will be without these apps till the end of this year.

[peter_betos]

Added the framework picture of the PSP just for the lulz.