[amboy83]

the big one for me was notifications... so i created a dedicated email address just for facebook and set facebook to send an email about the notifications i care about. works for now.... but we need an app... and yes it is coming soon just like everything else... sigh

[Eumaeus]

I have a project for which we are developing mobile applications, and so I have been reading the Playbook forums to get a sense of the potential of this device; we are already working on iOS and Android apps.

The Playbook has great build-quality, a uniquely useful form-factor, and very nice hardware specs. It is crippled by a lack of good native apps and confusing signals from RIM about the importance and future of app-development for the platform.

It seems that a lot of Playbook owners, or potential Playbook owners, have not used the competition's devices much, and have misapprehensions about the potential of native apps on mobile devices.

Here are some apps I use every day on my iPad. None of them could be implemented effectively as web-pages, even with Flash ;-)

This is not to say "OMG teh iPad RUlZ", but to illustrate the added-value that RIM can bring to the new Playbook through some disciplined attention to this one, widely-acknowledged, weakness of their new device.

Some of these apps rely on integrating hardware on the device in a way that web-pages cannot, or require local storage for reasons of personalized persistent information or because of bandwidth constraints. Needless to say, these work when offline as well as when the device is networked.

GPS Kit HD - integrates the GPS, Compass, and maps (downloaded and cached locally).

Theodolite - integrates the cameras, GPS, accelerometer, and compass for range-finding, cartography, navigation, and other functions.

Latin Dictionary, Lexiphanes (Classical Greek dictionary) - quick (offline) access to very large bodies of lexical data.

TapTrackHD - Calorie and excercise counter, stores personal info locally and synchs to other devices.

Prompt - SSH terminal client for connecting to servers.

Ballistic - calculates ballistics information for hand-loaded rifle and pistol ammunition; stores favorites; contains a vast library of data.

Filterstorm, Darkroom, PhotoPad - Image editing software

DSLRemote - drive a tethered SLR camera for remote-shooting.

Amplitude - virtual guitar amplifier with effects

forScore - Digital sheet-music library

I've skipped the "hallmark" apps that Apple promotes heavily--Pages, Keynote, Numbers, GarageBand, iMovie. I've also passed over the large number of games. Or the Mail app that very nicely integrates my seven e-mail accounts--business, personal, GMail, etc.--provides notifications, and synchs with my desktop machine, laptop, and phone.

My list here is highly eclectic--most people probably don't need this particular selection of apps--but the point is that I was able to assemble this varied, highly useful, toolbox for my lightweight mobile computer because of the richness of the iOS App Store. The Android universe is catching up quickly, to the point that iOS v. Android is really a matter of personal taste as much as any qualitative difference.

RIM needs to direct real energy, immediately, to securing well-designed applications for the PlayBook. Some people find browsing-without-Flash crippling, and for them having Flash that more-or-less works on the PB is enough of a selling point. But the state of the market in tablets provides pretty clear evidence that Flash is not the killer-app that alone can save a platform.

[lnichols]

You can't have 100,000 apps on a new platform/OS. Sorry, but just doesn't happen. The platform needs to be out there for development to take off. Honeycomb had 100 native apps at launch. iPad only had a ton of apps at launch because it is a big iPod touch and through the use of pixel doubling which looked like ***. Give it time people, how many apps did Android have at launch? Takes time to grow a developer base! New apps are being added daily.

[san4berry]

browser is nice, but if I wanted a full browser I would of bought another laptop. can't beat one touch access that apps give you, especially on a tablet, the pb would be the best tablet on the market if it had some major apps. (not talking about 90% of useless ones out there. Major ones, netflix skype..citrix..etc..etc...