Apps, Apps, Apps...what happened RIM???

**geauxlsutigers** · 02-21-2012, 08:18 PM

I have to admit, as new PB owner, Android phone user and iPad owner I was expecting the Android app catalog to be much broader in 2.0. Whether you like it or not, the reality is that apps sell devices, look at iOS. Good apps add an infinite amount of functionality to a device, and it looks like out PB is left without this KEY feature. I wont get into all the email, contact issues discussed in other threads as I do agree, with the AMPLE amount of time RIM had to get this update out, it leaves much to be desired. I am not a complainer and I do love my PB, but DO THEY NOT GET IT????? How does RIM fail, AGAIN, to make this a consumer friendly device. There simply is no excuse for the omission of big name apps. Just about everyone wants Netflix, Skype, Hulu and others. At least give us a nice news/rss reader app like Pulse. Instead, I am left with Blue Playlist, about the best Android app I have found in App World so far. Maybe my expectations were too high but I am a little dissapointed.

What are everyone elses thoughts?

**wscotchmer** · 02-21-2012, 08:26 PM

I couldn't have said it better myself.

**BuzzStarField** · 02-21-2012, 08:35 PM

Originally Posted by geauxlsutigers

What are everyone elses thoughts?

I think that either it's way past my bedtime or I'm really bored... Yawn.

**bb.pl** · 02-21-2012, 08:36 PM

Originally Posted by geauxlsutigers

I have to admit, as new PB owner, Android phone user and iPad owner I was expecting the Android app catalog to be much broader in 2.0. Whether you like it or not, the reality is that apps sell devices, look at iOS. Good apps add an infinite amount of functionality to a device, and it looks like out PB is left without this KEY feature. I wont get into all the email, contact issues discussed in other threads as I do agree, with the AMPLE amount of time RIM had to get this update out, it leaves much to be desired. I am not a complainer and I do love my PB, but DO THEY NOT GET IT????? How does RIM fail, AGAIN, to make this a consumer friendly device. There simply is no excuse for the omission of big name apps. Just about everyone wants Netflix, Skype, Hulu and others. At least give us a nice news/rss reader app like Pulse. Instead, I am left with Blue Playlist, about the best Android app I have found in App World so far. Maybe my expectations were too high but I am a little dissapointed.
What are everyone elses thoughts?

Hey you got angry birds, cut the rope....what else do you need. It's not like they promised Thousands of android apps coming soon on the playbook...oh wait...I mean not now now but eventually. I am sure by 2015 you will have lots of apps and at this rate,atleast a thousand new one from Digi media and Handster.

**afgui** · 02-21-2012, 08:38 PM

i think RIM did a major marketing campaign selling to end users that OS 2.0 will bring on a plethora of ANDROID apps.

sorry its bad marketing, its never gonna happen, RIM screwed themselves by making android player become a software program that launches .bar files (android apk that are converted to playbook bar file)

its not a real android native launcher, more of a 3rd party software,
also all android devices have a hard back button and menu button, where the playbook uses bezel swipes,

so when porting android apps to playbook, if the developer did not program the swipe bezel gestures correctly and tag them as back and menu buttons the android app dont function 100%, there are alot of 1/2 useable apps out there because the software porter did not port over back and menu button commands throughout the ENTIRE app. They may have it correct at the main screen, but go into a options or settings screen and you loose may loose the back or menu swipe features, depending on how it was written.

**BlueNoserBESguy** · 02-21-2012, 08:39 PM

RIM's app catalogue has increased 10fold in the past year. I think thats a pretty good start, along with 10s of thousands more coming over from android.

**FSeverino** · 02-21-2012, 08:39 PM

THERE ARE THREADS LIKE THIS ALREADY
PLEASE CONTRIBUTE TO THEM instead of MAKING NEW ONES

**FSeverino** · 02-21-2012, 08:39 PM

Originally Posted by bb.pl

Hey you got angry birds, cut the rope....what else do you need. It's not like they promised Thousands of android apps coming soon on the playbook...oh wait...I mean not now now but eventually. I am sure by 2015 you will have lots of apps and at this rate,atleast a thousand new one from Digi media and Handster.

... sooo, yea

**cntrydncr223** · 02-21-2012, 08:40 PM

Originally Posted by geauxlsutigers

Maybe my expectations were too high

What are everyone elses thoughts?

Yup, I think you hit the nail on the head. Your expectations were too high.

**afgui** · 02-21-2012, 08:42 PM

Originally Posted by bb.pl

Hey you got angry birds, cut the rope....what else do you need. It's not like they promised Thousands of android apps coming soon on the playbook...oh wait...I mean not now now but eventually. I am sure by 2015 you will have lots of apps and at this rate,atleast a thousand new one from Digi media and Handster.

those are actual apps (cut rope and angry birds) that were ported and made into a playbook app, they are not considered as android apps anymore, more so the angry birds app for playbook.

same goes for angry birds for android, its a game ported to android, if that is the case, we should see when will there be a apple launcher for the android so i can launch angry birds game

**dkjohn.** · 02-21-2012, 08:43 PM

+1 I was expecting more by the way of apps email is definitely nice but what was the hype.

**blargy** · 02-21-2012, 08:51 PM

Calm your impatient butts down. There's a huge backlog of apps (Over 6,000) that have been submitted, but RIM hasn't been able to approve them fast enough. The free PlayBook offer is now good 'till, what was it, March 15th? The backlog will likely continue to build at least that long. So basically, over the next several weeks, we will be getting a lot of apps! They will filter through, just give them some time.

Plus, all these Android developers that said, "I don't care about BlackBerry, but what the heck. It's that easy, and I get a free gadget!" will now have a PlayBook in their hands where they probably wouldn't otherwise. Now they get to fall in love with it, tinker around with it, and I gaurantee it will have long-lasting app-count benefits.

**RicThot** · 02-21-2012, 08:52 PM

Why exactly are you holding RIM responsible for the lack of Android apps?

What do you mean RIM fails to make this a consumer friendly device?

So you think the fact that Netflix and Skype are missing from the PB portfolio is actually RIM's fault?

There are dozens of useless threads just like yours all over the forum, it's obvious that people are failing to understand that RIM provides good hardware and a darn good OS, the rest is up to the devs... Devs are either lazy or not interested at all in dealing with QNX, period... what do you want RIM to do about it? Break their legs?

**D_March** · 02-21-2012, 08:58 PM

I'm liking the apps available and loving OS 2. If I didn't, I wouldn't still be here.

**missing_K-W** · 02-21-2012, 09:04 PM

Somebody get the OP some apps......I cross my arms and stomp my foot on the ground!....Get him some maps

.....I mean apps!

**bicdic** · 02-21-2012, 09:09 PM

Why don't you be more specific, what "Android" app would you like on the PB? My brother has a Galaxy 10". I don't seen any insane apps that hes got that I must have. He sees apps on my PB that he wish he has; so I don't see what the big fuss is about. Have you not been keeping up with the news?.. At one point PB was able to watch Hulu... it is Hulu that decided not to let us watch it. Still want it?.. try rooting your PB. Sometimes there are legal issues you know? Who knows, maybe Hulu has a contract with Android...

When I'm in class, I take notes, snap pictures of the white board, place notes on top of the pictures.. etc.. while the guy next to me is doing the same with his Ipad. The experience is not even comparable.. All the PB needs to do is to do what tablets were made for. Entertainment is something consumers tried to turn tablets into. If you want a gaming device, I recommend the PSP. If you want movies, use your laptop. If you want to Hulu bad enough, the the remote desktop app and run Hulu with that.

People complain about the bugs on the PB as if the other tablets don't have the same problem. In fact the PB has the LEAST problems. If you want something perfect.. try being more constructive.. and not make RIM look bad. They are the ONLY mobile company out there that cares and are fighting for their reputation and our loyalty. Where as the other companies are just trying to make money.. with little support for the consumers.

The bottom line is, a good product is a product that does what it was made to do. Perfection would be nice, but nothing is perfect. Sometimes people need to think. If you want all these apps, then stop complaining. When developers see crap like this, they don't want to write an app for the PB.. so if you want apps, do us all a favor and quit bitchn'.

**greatwiseone** · 02-21-2012, 09:09 PM

I think we'll hear something at MWC, e.g. Zinio.

**canadoc** · 02-21-2012, 09:10 PM

Originally Posted by geauxlsutigers

I have to admit, as new PB owner, Android phone user and iPad owner I was expecting the Android app catalog to be much broader in 2.0. Whether you like it or not, the reality is that apps sell devices, look at iOS. Good apps add an infinite amount of functionality to a device, and it looks like out PB is left without this KEY feature. I wont get into all the email, contact issues discussed in other threads as I do agree, with the AMPLE amount of time RIM had to get this update out, it leaves much to be desired. I am not a complainer and I do love my PB, but DO THEY NOT GET IT????? How does RIM fail, AGAIN, to make this a consumer friendly device. There simply is no excuse for the omission of big name apps. Just about everyone wants Netflix, Skype, Hulu and others. At least give us a nice news/rss reader app like Pulse. Instead, I am left with Blue Playlist, about the best Android app I have found in App World so far. Maybe my expectations were too high but I am a little dissapointed.

What are everyone elses thoughts?

While I agree, take a look at news360 and taptu, both good news aggregators

**geauxlsutigers** · 02-21-2012, 09:18 PM

Originally Posted by RicThot

Why exactly are you holding RIM responsible for the lack of Android apps?

What do you mean RIM fails to make this a consumer friendly device?

So you think the fact that Netflix and Skype are missing from the PB portfolio is actually RIM's fault?

There are dozens of useless threads just like yours all over the forum, it's obvious that people are failing to understand that RIM provides good hardware and a darn good OS, the rest is up to the devs... Devs are either lazy or not interested at all in dealing with QNX, period... what do you want RIM to do about it? Break their legs?

Come on, are you that naiive? RIM HAS to be on board with the software, too. How can you justify your comment and say RIM provides the hardware and the rest is up to Devs. While I do agree thae devs are partially responsible, if RIM wants PB to be successful in the consumer market, they need to do everything in their power to fuel demand and encourage those big name devs to port over to PB. RIM certainly IS responsible for this, if they want to succeed. Just my thoughts...

**mrbkkt1** · 02-21-2012, 09:18 PM

I agree with the OP, but not to the extent of his irritation. It took 5 years for ios apps to get this far, and 4 for Android. While it would be nice to just be able to straight up access Android market, I'm ok for now. Most of my apps on my senny are phone based anyway. Yeah it sucks to but the same app for 2 different platforms, but there is a way to diy. Can't say the same for ios. Give the market a little time to mature before going all nuts. Besides, 90 % of the apps on Android market are either stupid, our unusable for your platform.

**Chrysalis1156** · 02-21-2012, 09:20 PM

I always love it when somebody says they're not a complainer while they're complaining... Give it some time - there will be more apps.

**geauxlsutigers** · 02-21-2012, 09:23 PM

Originally Posted by missing_K-W

Somebody get the OP some apps......I cross my arms and stomp my foot on the ground!....Get him some maps

.....I mean apps!

All sarcasm aside, Im just being a realist and want RIM and PB to succeed. It's not so much that I personally want more apps, however, the reality is that for PB to become a mainstream device that sell well, more apps are needed.

Otherwise the OS is a nice and much needed update. I suppose time will tell regarding apps.

**mrbkkt1** · 02-21-2012, 09:25 PM

Also, one last point, the "big" apps, like Netflix, Zinio, Skype, kindle usually go through a lot of qc testing on current software before being released. They also have to make sure that their copywrite protections are good so they can't be sued by studios etc. Otherwise you get apps like the COD elite app for Android that was a big fail

**91300zx** · 02-21-2012, 09:34 PM

Where are the millions of fart apps?

**missing_K-W** · 02-21-2012, 09:44 PM

Originally Posted by geauxlsutigers

All sarcasm aside, Im just being a realist and want RIM and PB to succeed. It's not so much that I personally want more apps, however, the reality is that for PB to become a mainstream device that sell well, more apps are needed.

Otherwise the OS is a nice and much needed update. I suppose time will tell regarding apps.

I was just making a funny.

...I agree we need more apps in order to spur more consumer adoption. Hundreds of apps are being submitted to Appworld each day. We should see an influx of apps coming. Alec Saunders is leading a strong campaign. Dev tools are becoming great. Interest in the platform is beginning to compound. Apps are definitely coming more and more