[lawguyman]

I have been playing around with the Android Player in the 2.0 beta and overall, I think it is disappointing. I understand that this is still a beta but there are pretty big issues with it. Because of these issues, I would not get my hopes up that we will ever get a lot of good Android Apps useable on the Playbook in the way they should be experienced.

There are two problems: (1) Hardly any good Apps work and (2) The user experience is alien to the Playbook user experience.

If you take a look at the goings on in the App forum, you will note that quite a few Android apps have been tried and not a lot of good ones actually work. I have presonally tried to convert apks for Netflix, Slingbox, Cut the Rope, and a few of the angry birds games. None work. These are the kinds of Apps that I was hoping would work. No luck. Now, it is possible that developers could modify these Apps in ways to make them compatible but as of right now, I don't see many good Android apps working.

Those Apps that do work don't feel right on the Playbook. Each Android App gets an Icon on the Homescreen. That is good. The problem is that each Android App is not given its own window in which to run. Instead, every Android App is in a single window and you have to toggle between them from within that window. Also, all of the in-app notifications look like Android, Not Playbook. It all makes for a very disjointed user experience. Personally, I would not want to run Apps this way.

Running Android Apps should be no different from the user's perspective than running a Flash app or a Native App. It should all look and feel the same. It does not.

From a design point of view, Android breaks the Playbook experience in a bad way. Frankly, I would rather that this not be released at all than it be released as it is now.

[tboyd1120]

I finished an application for Android about a month ago with B4A, The only problem I had was that I did not even own an Android phone or tablet. The application was one I had created for a PALM TX and I had used it for many years. I acquired a Blackberry Playbook and decided if I could port my applications from the Palm over to the PB I could get rid of the Palm TX. I got a copy of Basic4Android and started building my application. I finished my application about a month ago and had my compiled "apx" file ready for PB android support. Yesterday I loaded my android.apx file in the Blackberry PB Online tool and it reported that my application ICON was to small. This morning I re-sized my icon and re-compliled and ran it through the Online tool and it reported my application was compatable with the Playbook android runtime. I side loaded my file to my playbook but I had to restart my PB to get it to run. Once I got it restarted my application started up and ran perfectly. I now need to do some cosmetics to fit the Playbook screen a little better, but the application run perfectly on the Blackberry Playbook with OS2 Beta. From Android APX file to Playbook BAR file was rather easy. SUCCESS

[Abrante]

I appreciate (I am sure I speak for most of the non-developers on CB as well) what you guys are doing for the Blackberry platform. The concerns that you guys have show that it is of importance to you guys for the Apps to run correctly on the PB. RIM has had a "so-so" year and I guess at this point there is no other direction to go but UP. It seems as if loading and adjusting apps to fit the PB resolution and controls is a bit of a challenge but you guys both sound knowledgable and will eventually "crack the code" to make it all work out. Good luck!

[BuzzStarField]

As he points out himself, this is a beta release meant for developers and its look and feel will change over time. IMO, it is a little early to cast judgement

The other disappointment that he registers is that several apps that he has personally signed do not work in the player. To this, I would say that, since he is not the author of these apps perhaps he is expecting too much when he complains about them not running in the player.

In the end, the authors of these popular app may obtain their own keys and repackage them for submission to App World. On the other hand they may choose to modify their apps so that they do not run on the PlayBook even if signed by a third party. I find it odd that a law guy would not see the irony of the review that he posted.

[Superfly_FR]

I have been playing around with the Android Player in the 2.0 beta and overall, I think it is disappointing. I understand that this is still a beta but there are pretty big issues with it. Because of these issues, I would not get my hopes up that we will ever get a lot of good Android Apps useable on the Playbook in the way they should be experienced.

There are two problems: (1) Hardly any good Apps work and (2) The user experience is alien to the Playbook user experience.

If you take a look at the goings on in the App forum, you will note that quite a few Android apps have been tried and not a lot of good ones actually work. I have presonally tried to convert apks for Netflix, Slingbox, Cut the Rope, and a few of the angry birds games. None work. These are the kinds of Apps that I was hoping would work. No luck. Now, it is possible that developers could modify these Apps in ways to make them compatible but as of right now, I don't see many good Android apps working.

Those Apps that do work don't feel right on the Playbook. Each Android App gets an Icon on the Homescreen. That is good. The problem is that each Android App is not given its own window in which to run. Instead, every Android App is in a single window and you have to toggle between them from within that window. Also, all of the in-app notifications look like Android, Not Playbook. It all makes for a very disjointed user experience. Personally, I would not want to run Apps this way.

Running Android Apps should be no different from the user's perspective than running a Flash app or a Native App. It should all look and feel the same. It does not.

From a design point of view, Android breaks the Playbook experience in a bad way. Frankly, I would rather that this not be released at all than it be released as it is now.

I ain't got no hope
I dislike this intrusion as a technical aspect of the device.
I understand it is mandatory to fill the lack of applications, as a entry point for developers and to gain some attractiveness to the general public.
But, for me, it will stay a temporary need and I think a lot of time has been badly wasted to make this kinda work (agree with point #2 regarding UI experience).

[NaijaBerry]

I couldn't praise the PB enough with OS 1 because it had all the apps that were important to me, bibles, books, music, bridge and an excellent browser, but kindle was missing so i just did an OS 2 beta install and everything works like a charm, all my purchased apps installed and work and now the kindle app which beats all my ebook readers hands down. The bridge workaround is even faster to connect than the original, i've got nothing but love for this device. All the android apps i need work well with no issues!!

[samab]

Considering that Netflix only released their app that is compatible with Honeycomb because it is the DRM that is important piece of the app --- you are wildly optimistic that you can just repackage an Android Netflix app for the Playbook. Same thing for Slingbox.

It's the DRM, DRM, DRM...

Cut the Rope was demo'ed on the Playbook, why would you want the Android version when you can have the native version?

RIM ported Box2D and cocos2d --- the 2 c++ game engines that are used by games like Angry Birds and Cut the Rope --- to the QNX platform so that game developers can make these games on the Playbook using the NDK.

[lawguyman]

As he points out himself, this is a beta release meant for developers and its look and feel will change over time. IMO, it is a little early to cast judgement.

I'm not casting judgment. I'm just saying "don't get your hopes up."

[samab]

It's not even "don't get your hopes up".

Honeycomb tablets were launched earlier than the Playbook --- yet they don't have the netflix app until a couple of days ago. So it is unrealistic to have your "hopes" up in the first place.

[anon(3858936)]

My hope is that when OS2 is ready for consumer use the android app player will be all but invisible.
Android apps will be submitted to app world like any other app. They will download and install the same. They will have their own icons and windows. The only difference is that the playbook will be doing the work in the background to translate the api calls to QNX compatible code.
In the end, as a regular consumer you will not even be aware you are runnign an android coded app.
In this way RIM is not promoting a competing OS and the customer just gets an influx of hopefully well made apps.

[peter9477]

It's the DRM, DRM, DRM...

If that's true, and the reason Netflix is missing, then we can hope that BBX 2.0 will bring with it the arrival of a Netflix app as well (provided RIM doesn't decide it competes too much with their own video store, etc).

Why? Because the beta includes some additions relating to DRM...

[crazylegshinch]

Just because the apps one person judges as "the good apps" can't be easily side loaded in the beta doesn't mean we need to be pessimistic. Android player is one part of OS2, there are also a number of other tools for developers to build native apps easier. But in the meantime we can look forward to some apps being easily and quickly ported to android player. Have a little more optimism, you'll live longer.

[silversun10]

the playbook is a very good product esp if you compare it to ebook readers that cost about half of what playbook costs and on the playbook the ebook readers is just one of a lot of apps, so all RIM needs to do is sell more playbooks, just get more users and the rest will fall into place, it is not build and they(the apps) will come, it is sell and they will come, to RIM i say sell the 16g for really cheap, you will sell a lot, if eventually the 16g is too small customers will upgrade to 36G and 64G and RIM then you sold two playbooks in the end, so really discount the 16g and everything will fall into place.........

[laurah2215]

I hope that by the time 2.0 is ready for public release that Android player will be solid. So much hard work has gone into this and I want everyone to be able to enjoy the experience.

[samab]

Just because the apps one person judges as "the good apps" can't be easily side loaded in the beta doesn't mean we need to be pessimistic. Android player is one part of OS2, there are also a number of other tools for developers to build native apps easier. But in the meantime we can look forward to some apps being easily and quickly ported to android player. Have a little more optimism, you'll live longer.

Precisely.

RIM ported the c++ game engine that is used by Angry Birds to QNX.

Box2D creator asks Rovio for Angry Birds credit at GDC

https://github.com/blackberry/Box2D

Angry Birds is going to be a native QNX game using the NDK on the Playbook. It is not going to be a Flash version of Angry Birds. It is not going to be an Android version of Angry Birds.

[biggulpseh]

The guys addressed this concern on the latest crackberry podcast. I guess at DevCon there was a Q&A about the android player which was one of the most well-attended events.

The fact that a lot of apps don't run is due to their use of APIs which are currently not supported by the Android Player. I guess they've already put so many hours into it that they'd rather wait and see what developers are asking for and just implement the most basic APIs to begin with.

Being able to run multiple android apps efficiently is clearly something they're trying to work on. I think that's probably one of the main reasons causing the delay. From what I understand, the RIM employee getting asked the questions about the player acknowledged that having it run like it does currently would be a UI nightmare. If they're trying to infiltrate a broad consumer market, having a confusing UI for running multiple android apps would only put them in a bad position, hence the delay getting it to market.

[lawguyman]

Angry Birds is going to be a native QNX game using the NDK on the Playbook. It is not going to be a Flash version of Angry Birds. It is not going to be an Android version of Angry Birds.

I hope that this is so but this is beyond the scope of what I am posting about.

I am just addressing how good the Android player is at the moment.

[lawguyman]

Being able to run multiple android apps efficiently is clearly something they're trying to work on. I think that's probably one of the main reasons causing the delay. From what I understand, the RIM employee getting asked the questions about the player acknowledged that having it run like it does currently would be a UI nightmare. If they're trying to infiltrate a broad consumer market, having a confusing UI for running multiple android apps would only put them in a bad position, hence the delay getting it to market.

I REALLY hope that they make it better.

Here's the thing though: As compared to the leaked beta from a few months ago, the big changes seem to be that icons now appear on the home screen (something that was demonstrated months before the leak) and that there is a task switcher of sorts. The number of Apps that work seem to be about the same now as with the leaked version.

So, the "new" think with this beta is the task switcher. Why develop this task switcher if RIM intends Android Apps to work like every other kind of App (each in its own window)? I don't know for sure but my guess is at least at one time the Android Player was intended to be released in final close to how we see it now.

[samab]

A lot of these are known limitations --- the same limitations that the Kindle Fire will face.

Honeycomb tablets don't even have netflix app until a couple days ago --- so you are completely unrealistic to think that you can just repackage the netflix android app and it would work on the Playbook, when you can't even put that same netflix android app and make it work on a REAL android tablet.

[lawguyman]

Honeycomb tablets don't even have netflix app until a couple days ago --- so you are completely unrealistic to think that you can just repackage the netflix android app and it would work on the Playbook, when you can't even put that same netflix android app and make it work on a REAL android tablet.

This is not really true.

Netflix has been running and supported on most Honeycomb tablets since they were released or shortly thereafter. It did not run on some. The current version of the Netflix app supports all Honeycomb tablets.

[Deathcommand]

Games and Apps requiring Phone API's cannot be used.
Games and Apps requiring the Camera will not work.
Games and Apps requiring hardware acceleration (at the moment) will not work.
Games and Apps requiring the GPU will not work (at the moment).

Hit Up OpensourceBB.com for a more complete list.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[samab]

This is not really true.

Netflix has been running and supported on most Honeycomb tablets since they were released or shortly thereafter. It did not run on some. The current version of the Netflix app supports all Honeycomb tablets.

Not the HD version of Netflix.

The netflix app that modders repackaged for other android phones/tablets can only watch SD netflix content.

[jesse_h]

It's idiotic to judge a beta OS, and compare it to what you think it's supposed to be like. Truth be told, you have no idea what the consumer release will be like. We won't have to sideload apps in the consumer release. Just because only a handful of apps work at this point does not mean that it will always be this way.

Some of you must be so naive to have this mentality.

[lawguyman]

Not the HD version of Netflix.

The netflix app that modders repackaged for other android phones/tablets can only watch SD netflix content.

This is off topic but what you are saying is not right. Official versions of the Netflix app supported various Honeycomb tablets lomg before now. I dont know for sure whether they allowed HD streaming but is kind of irrelevant with sub 10 inch screens that are below HD resolutions.

[lawguyman]

It's idiotic to judge a beta OS, and compare it to what you think it's supposed to be like. Truth be told, you have no idea what the consumer release will be like. We won't have to sideload apps in the consumer release. Just because only a handful of apps work at this point does not mean that it will always be this way.

Some of you must be so naive to have this mentality.

The Android Player was announced in February as coming "soon."

The leak from a few months ago worked with most of the same apps as this one works with.

I don't think I am naive in cautioning people not to get their hopes up.