[TroubleTrouble]

Hello. My new blackberry playbook should be arriving tomorrow morning. I am excited to be rejoining the Blackberry world in some form after leaving my Blackberry in 2010. I'm also excited for the possibility to one day soon be installing BB10 to my playbook as well. My question however is this: when setting up a brand new playbook will I need to have a computer handy to sideload Android apps onto the device? I won't have my computer delivered until later this week, so I'm wondering how limited I'll be with the Playbook until then. Every other question I've seen on this says either yes or no. So basically would I need my computer to install android apps?

[karloptimux]

Yes you need it if you plan to be on the latest OS.

[hennesseystealth]

I have had my 64Gb version for about a week and have gone through the same issues. So, what do you want to do with the PB? I tried to sideload Whatsapp and Skype Beta but found that both were a no go. I found it easier to get the apk and bar files using my computer but there is no reason that the PB browser won't work for that. As of now, everything I needed to load as far as apps were concerned I could do with just the PB. The only thing I needed my computer for was loading movies. Actually, it was more of converting movies to mp4 format since the ones I wanted to download were not in a PB compatible format. Just remember, if you screw something up, just do a security wipe and you will be back where you started when you opened the box. The only thing you lose is the sample video files.

[hennesseystealth]

Yes you need it if you plan to be on the latest OS.

No, the update is OTA. All you need is an Internet connection (WiFi).

[jrohland]

You can do a tonne on a PlayBook without any Android apps. Next, there are a large number of Android apps in AppWorld that don't require sideloading. If you just must have an Android app that must be sideloaded, you will need a computer.

[karloptimux]

No, the update is OTA. All you need is an Internet connection (WiFi).

He was talking about sideloading. If he was to stick with old OS he could root and sideload localy using localbar.

[djenkins6]

I sideload a lot but you don't have to, there are lots of apps in app world to keep you going for a week
In theory you can sideload using a phone as a proxy and localbar2 but I couldn't get that to work.
My preferred sideloading method is ddpb on a windows pc, other people use the chrome add in. On a mac I think the only method is that chrome add in.
My favorite sideloaded apps are kindle and Flipboard, most everything else I mainly use the browser and make occasional use of other sideloaded and app world apps.

[alan510]

Don't buy into all the negative press about the PlayBook not having apps. There are plenty of good apps in AppWorld. I always wonder what people want with sideloading. Can you tell us what apps you are looking for and perhaps there are suggestions we can give you that are available already.

[TroubleTrouble]

The main apps I'm looking to get are a few sports/NFL, news, twitter apps and a few games. If the App World has those then I see no reason for me to sideload, right?

[karloptimux]

Don't buy into all the negative press about the PlayBook not having apps. There are plenty of good apps in AppWorld. I always wonder what people want with sideloading. Can you tell us what apps you are looking for and perhaps there are suggestions we can give you that are available already.

You do know that like half the apps out there are sideloaded apps right?

[kill_9]

Unless you absolutely must have a specific Google Andriod-only application my recommendation is to stick with native BlackBerry PlayBook applications of which there are a growing number of high-quality. Research In Motion would do everyone a favour by dumping the BlackBerry Android Player from BlackBerry OS 10.

[pchapple13]

I have two PB's, one for over a year now, and I've managed to survive just fine for without sideloading any apps. Coincidentally, I have not had a single issue with either of my PB's that I read about in these forums. Appworld will have just about anything you'll want or need, just less selection.

[rogprov]

I too have found all I need (and more) without side-loading and the PB has given no trouble at all. I don't watch films or have any need for Skype as my cable ISP/phone provider gives free phone calls 24/7.