[Knightcrawler]

So apps are a problem on BB10. That's been the mantra for a while now. The hardcore fans will quickly rebut that with "BUT YOU CAN SIDELOAD APPS". But the issue i've noticed with sideloading is that its an extra step, and by and large, people are lazy.

Hell, i've only ever sideloaded an app or two, mainly cuz im not big on apps, but also because its not worth the effort and time to go thru that. And im ALREADY familiar with the process. So for the average consumer, its almost a definite no.

The one thing Apple has shown is that people want SIMPLICITY. They'll pay to save that extra 5 min. If you have the choice between a phone that'll let you install an app directly from the app store, or one where you have to go through an extra 4 steps....well its a simple choice.

So, does BlackBerry need another section within BBWorld that caters to android apps? Maybe plug into the Google Play store, or even have a dedicated team within BB to find apps that work and put them in there.

We already have an app that'll let you sideload android apks directly on the phone now, so why not take that process one step further, and build something into BB World itself?

I guarantee you, if androids apps were SEARCHABLE through BB World, there would be a lot less complaints about the lack of apps.

Thoughts?

[FrankIAm]

Legal issues, lol
Its not as easy as you think.

C0001BBF0 - BlackBerry 10 help channel.

[anon(5928073)]

Yes they do. There would be legal issues with it but BlackBerry should have thought this through. They should have incorporated side loading into a more native setting. Maybe including it in BlackBerry Link so it is easier to do and forming a database of .bar files for the public to use.

I don't know why they thought lazy iPhone users would just slide over to BlackBerry now that you can side load. It takes a bit more work, but it's a bit more work then the average person wants to do.

[rjk123]

While I agree with convenience for side loading let's not forget a couple things. Firstly, major legal hurdles exist to include a side load appstore since Google would never allow that kind of piracy of their apps. Secondly, and more importantly, side loading was a feature mentioned as a benefit to developers and not so much end users. While savvy end users, with the help of the crackberry team, have found easy ways to side load, it wasn't as much the original intent as was developer ease for porting their apps to Bbw. While side loading is great for end users and is obviously something blackberry took in to account, it's a nice benefit and not so much something that should supplant legal or piracy considerations. I have tonnes of side loaded apps so perhaps I'm defeating my own point though....

Just my two cents.

Tapped out on Halle (Black)Berry aka Z10 running 10.2.0.1443

[app_Developer]

If Blackberry really wants to go to war with the developer community, they should make it even easier for people to pirate apps.

[anon(5928073)]

While I agree with convenience for side loading let's not forget a couple things. Firstly, major legal hurdles exist to include a side load appstore since Google would never allow that kind of piracy of their apps. Secondly, and more importantly, side loading was a feature mentioned as a benefit to developers and not so much end users. While savvy end users, with the help of the crackberry team, have found easy ways to side load, it wasn't as much the original intent as was developer ease for porting their apps to Bbw. While side loading is great for end users and is obviously something blackberry took in to account, it's a nice benefit and not so much something that should supplant legal or piracy considerations. I have tonnes of side loaded apps so perhaps I'm defeating my own point though....

Just my two cents.

Tapped out on Halle (Black)Berry aka Z10 running 10.2.0.1443

Agreed. It is a great benefit that BlackBerry didn't take big enough advantage of at the time of release. There are a lot of unique things to contribute through side loading that could have been done through BlackBerry itself.

If the legalities of it all could have been hashed out, I think BlackBerry could have started with a much brighter future

[app_Developer]

Agreed. It is a great benefit that BlackBerry didn't take big enough advantage of at the time of release. There are a lot of unique things to contribute through side loading that could have been done through BlackBerry itself.

If the legalities of it all could have been hashed out, I think BlackBerry could have started with a much brighter future

That's a bit like saying I would be better off if I took my neighbor's Ferrari, just so long as I could sort the little "legal issues".

What we're talking about is taking a developer's app without their permission and then redistributing that app in another store. That's not even close to reasonable.

If I as a developer upload an app to Google Play, that is an agreement between my company and Google. Blackberry has absolutely no right to download my app from Google's store and then distribute my app through a different online store. That is piracy, and Blackberry could never get away with that.

At the BBJam I attended, Blackberry made the commitment that would control and limit sideloading, which they then failed to do. But at least they should not make is even easier.

[anon(5928073)]

That's a bit like saying I would be better off if I took my neighbor's Ferrari, just so long as I could sort the little "legal issues".

What we're talking about is taking a developer's app without their permission and then redistributing that app in another store. That's not even close to reasonable.

If I as a developer upload an app to Google Play, that is an agreement between my company and Google. Blackberry has absolutely no right to download my app from Google's store and then distribute my app through a different online store. That is piracy, and Blackberry could never get away with that.

At the BBJam I attended, Blackberry made the commitment that would control and limit sideloading, which they then failed to do. But at least they should not make is even easier.

Woah woah. Little? I never said it would have been easy. BlackBerry just didn't make enough of a push to get to the general public. I mean there's a huge difference in saying instagram is in the app store and saying instagram is on my phone because I side loaded it.. oh and you have to download this thing and this thing to get it.

[app_Developer]

Woah woah. Little? I never said it would have been easy. BlackBerry just didn't make enough of a push to get to the general public. I mean there's a huge difference in saying instagram is in the app store and saying instagram is on my phone because I side loaded it.. oh and you have to download this thing and this thing to get it.

Oh, totally agree. The answer is to sell enough phones for instagram to care, or just make an Android phone so users have access to Google Play.

The first option seems to be really hard. The second option I think we all agree is not great either.

My point is that one option that just can't fly is to make up for the lack of inventory in their own store by simply stealing inventory from Google's store. Or encourage their users to steal people's apps from Google's store.

[guygardner73]

Oh, totally agree. The answer is to sell enough phones for instagram to care, or just make an Android phone so users have access to Google Play.

The first option seems to be really hard. The second option I think we all agree is not great either.

My point is that one option that just can't fly is to make up for the lack of inventory in their own store by simply stealing inventory from Google's store. Or encourage their users to steal people's apps from Google's store.

Options 1 & 2 Suck!

Option 3 however is to stockpile nuclear weapons and issue a direct threat. Also, infiltrate Apple & Google directly in order to sow misinformation and confusion among the enemy. Once divided from within, it should be easy to conquer them and smite the ringleaders. Then, it's just a matter of taking whatever you want and releasing the prisoners. With a bit of luck, we won't even need to unleash the mech army!

Z10STL100-2/10.1.0.4780 O2 Uk

[rkeerti]

A viable option would be to have in place something like Cydia for the iPhone. For those who don't know, that's a third party appstore application, which let's you install tweaks ,tools and themes and stuff which normally wouldn't be possible.
Also, They do not promote piracy.

Posted via CB10

[Undbiter65]

What about an unofficial one?! Lol. Like run by BlackBerry users and not BlackBerry themselves

Posted via CB 10 on my naked Z10

[Chanlion]

The Android runtime we have isn't 100% Android. So that why there's still developers modifying their code slightly before porting into BBW.

[anon(5928073)]

A viable option would be to have in place something like Cydia for the iPhone. For those who don't know, that's a third party appstore application, which let's you install tweaks ,tools and themes and stuff which normally wouldn't be possible.
Also, They do not promote piracy.

Posted via CB10

There is not a place for that on a BlackBerry. It's a workers phone. Things like cydia just negate all the work BlackBerry has done.

[anon(5928073)]

Oh, totally agree. The answer is to sell enough phones for instagram to care, or just make an Android phone so users have access to Google Play.

The first option seems to be really hard. The second option I think we all agree is not great either.

My point is that one option that just can't fly is to make up for the lack of inventory in their own store by simply stealing inventory from Google's store. Or encourage their users to steal people's apps from Google's store.

Exactly. I mean I know what your saying, but the least they could have done is make the side loading process easier for the lazy people who have no clue. Until that app they need becomes native.

[guygardner73]

Jolla Sailfish will be using the QQ app store for Android apps. I wonder if this is an option for BlackBerry also.

Z10STL100-2/10.1.0.4780 O2 Uk

[rjk123]

What about an unofficial one?! Lol. Like run by BlackBerry users and not BlackBerry themselves

Posted via CB 10 on my naked Z10

There's a bunch of these. Egoodreader, apk2bar, bb10bars. They're all virtually android app port markets.

Tapped out on Halle (Black)Berry aka Z10 running 10.2.0.1443

[Hazysky]

I like the way Jolla is doing things -

Http://Jolla.com/press/




Posted via CB10

[bobo616]

I like the way Jolla is doing things -

Http://Jolla.com/press/


Posted via CB10

I have asked jolla if you can restrict the permissions that these apps use in a similar way to bb10 as if so this would make it more attractive to me but even without this this phone will be attractive to quite a lot of people if and it's a big if they can market it so people are aware of it.

Posted via CB10

[Hazysky]

If not there at the beginning it could come later maybe.

If you're pally with the Jolla guys could you arrange for my Jolla phone to be shipped, like today? lol

I'm really, really looking forward to getting this phone. It has been a long wait.

Posted via CB10

[bobo616]

If not there at the beginning it could come later maybe.

If you're pally with the Jolla guys could you arrange for my Jolla phone to be shipped, like today? lol

I'm really, really looking forward to getting this phone. It has been a long wait.

Posted via CB10

Sadly I am not 'pally' lol I have tweeted them so I await their reply. I have asked before but their answer of yes it is sandboxed didn't really answer the question

Posted via CB10

[Hazysky]

Hopefully they will answer you soon.

I'm not too worried as I don't use loads of applications.

The Jolla phones will have a developer mode and the Meego/N9 community has some really clever coders/devs so lots of things will be possible in time.

Posted via CB10