[Rello]

I was trying to speak to user a experience perspective. On a technical level they are distant cousins, but it's an irrelevant point unless you're writing apps. From looking at as an average user does, you're not going to see any relation. It was just in response to how you read into it meaning QNX would be customizable like Android, it doesn't mean that.

I've learned that when speaking in non-programmer forums it's best to ignore technical details most people don't care about, and speak in user experience terms.

Most of the stuff I've learned has been posted here in one thread or another. Stuff that hasn't has been because it's not that exciting. On the last developer webcast RIM wouldn't say anything about the maps API and what platform it would be using, leaving people wondering BlackBerry Maps or something else. Based on the simulator I can say it's Google Maps. I found a config file which states which programs are used to open which URLs. maps:// URLs are set to open in Google Maps. It's neither exciting or groundbreaking so I haven't mentioned it previously.

ok im just gonna ask this here since i really haven't ever been able to get an answer anywhere else. Would u (or anyone really) think that the reason they may be keeping this secret is because it may have something to do with the Dash acquisition??? I mean, correct me if im wrong, but I can't think of anything that has come out of that deal yet?

[bacon.jay]

I was trying to speak to user a experience perspective. On a technical level they are distant cousins, but it's an irrelevant point unless you're writing apps. From looking at as an average user does, you're not going to see any relation. It was just in response to how you read into it meaning QNX would be customizable like Android, it doesn't mean that.

I've learned that when speaking in non-programmer forums it's best to ignore technical details most people don't care about, and speak in user experience terms.

Most of the stuff I've learned has been posted here in one thread or another. Stuff that hasn't has been because it's not that exciting. On the last developer webcast RIM wouldn't say anything about the maps API and what platform it would be using, leaving people wondering BlackBerry Maps or something else. Based on the simulator I can say it's Google Maps. I found a config file which states which programs are used to open which URLs. maps:// URLs are set to open in Google Maps. It's neither exciting or groundbreaking so I haven't mentioned it previously.

I'm not sure who it was, maybe you, but they said that the ability to change the wallpaper on the homescreen of the playbook was there in the simulator but there was no UI components in place to facilitate it.

If the Maps API is set to use embedded URL data, is this potentially something else that could be a user preference once some semblance of UI components to change them are in place? I.E. the user can pick between using BB Maps, Google Maps, NAVTEQ, etc etc?

My thought about the simulator using Google Maps leads me to believe that RIM stuck it in there just so that it would have something easily accessible through the desktop internet connection. The idea of RIM paying royalties to Google for mapping infrastructures they already have in place elsewhere seems a bit far-fetched and superfluous.

[taylortbb]

If the Maps API is set to use embedded URL data, is this potentially something else that could be a user preference once some semblance of UI components to change them are in place? I.E. the user can pick between using BB Maps, Google Maps, NAVTEQ, etc etc?

My thought about the simulator using Google Maps leads me to believe that RIM stuck it in there just so that it would have something easily accessible through the desktop internet connection. The idea of RIM paying royalties to Google for mapping infrastructures they already have in place elsewhere seems a bit far-fetched and superfluous.

It's certainly a possibility. There's good support for registering your app to handle file types, no reason that couldn't be done for URLs too with some UI to switch between them.

As for the licensing... Google Maps provides a superior user experience. I never use BB maps, and I don't know anyone that does. It's also not free for RIM to employ people on the maps team. It's likely more cost effective to pay some royalties and get a pre-built system with a feature set RIM could never match (things like cycling data).

[tbelanger]

I'm just starting to look at the playbook. Since it appears to have a pin, would that mean it will have bbm?

[anon(728548)]

I'm just starting to look at the playbook. Since it appears to have a pin, would that mean it will have bbm?

it has it, we just dont know if it can run without being connected to the balckberry via bluetooth