[Marty_LK]

Yes you can, there's apps that can get the wallpaper to show all that info or individual apps that will show newsfeeds. Some themes can put a weather icon on screen to, active weather icon.

WP isn't a good example of homescreen live icons. WP live tiles only refresh once every 30 minutes and can't make a homescreen live tile clock viable. Weather updates are acceptable, but only every 30 minutes, not 10 or 15 like one can have on an Android.

[Chrisy]

I loaded my Android up with widgets. It died in 4-6 hours. I hope BlackBerry 10 has widget or tile like icons. But more importantly the battery has to suppose their use. Otherwise, it is pointless.

[belfastdispatcher]

ok how about this then:

An Engadget news feed widget, plus a weather widget, plus a wifi/bluetooth/display brightness toggle widget, all on the same screen!

ha? ha?

Ha? Ha?

Sorry to break it to you but yes, I can have that. For a start the top of the screen is a connection "widget" and my brightness constantly addapts to the ambient light.

There's an app that can split the wallpaper into different feeds, weather, medsages etc.

[omniusovermind]

Ha? Ha?

Sorry to break it to you but yes, I can have that. For a start the top of the screen is a connection "widget" and my brightness constantly addapts to the ambient light.

There's an app that can split the wallpaper into different feeds, weather, medsages etc.

damn you.

/stomps away pouting

[Chrisy]

Ha? Ha?

Sorry to break it to you but yes, I can have that. For a start the top of the screen is a connection "widget" and my brightness constantly addapts to the ambient light.

There's an app that can split the wallpaper into different feeds, weather, medsages etc.

Can iPhones do that?

[Eumaeus]

Can iPhones do that?

Not without jailbreaking. And even then, I don't know how well it works. You have some ability on iOS to add notifications (weather, etc.) to the notification display on the lock screen, but nothing like Android's ability to customize the desktop.

[belfastdispatcher]

damn you.

/stomps away pouting

Feast your eyes my friend:

Check out Fancy Widgets! You can find it at Buy Fancy Widgets - Download Fancy Widgets - Buy Apps from BlackBerry App World

[kbz1960]

Yes I want widgets and live tiles so my phone dies in 3 hours if I don't plug it in. Please.

Nice the ones who do want them have them and extra chargers everywhere they go.

[Chrisy]

I wouldn't mind that on my PlayBook. If my PlayBook dies in 3 hours that's okay. It's for entertainment. If my phones died I'd be in trouble.

[hispanola]

This is what I believe also. The smaller amount of apps for the PB is inconsequential because it has most if not all of the apps a user needs. The Appworld has thousands of apps and the maximum number of user-installed apps I've ever had was under 200. And I'm talking Android and iOS. My PB currently has 86 user-installed apps. How in the world is anyone going to need thousands of apps?

But, like you, I want some other apps that are high-profile.

If RIM believes this, its no wonder they are in the position they are currently in and BB10 will fail! The PB does not even have one of the two major e-readers/marketplaces (Kindle & Nook), nor does it have any of the major streaming video sites (Netflix/Hulu). As a company that has marketed itself as pro-business/enterprise, it has none of the major financial apps or newspapers/magazines (WSJ, etc.) It has none of the major newspapers/magazine in the US (NYT, USNews, Time, etc.). While these are not many apps, these are major apps. I'm shocked they have VEVO! It's not about the number of apps, it's the quality of apps and Appworld is sorely lacking. I'm a major RIM fan and one of the few of my friends who still have a BB. We should not sugar coat things and make excuses for RIM. They should not have wasted the 100 million they said they would use for marketing BB7 and use that to secure these major apps for the PB and more importantly BB10.

[PanaSama]

You guys are talking like the whole apps thing was Apple's idea, when the iphone came out it didnt even supported 3rd party apps other than webapps, their stance was that since their browser was so good and revolutionary (it was) that people could do anything with safari, RIM, Palm and Windows mobile on the other hand had a very healthy app catalogue (for that time), it was dev community that saw the huge potential on Apple's hardware and started developing apps, people demanded them and Apple had to give in (smart move), i think i even saw an article here on Crackberry written by our very own fearless leader Kevin stating that since the iphone didnt have any app support it couldn't even be considered a smartphone (i could be wrong on this, it's been a long time).

So no Apple didnt brainwashed anyone into thinking that apps were necessary, it was quite the opposite actually.

And one last thing, Apps (aka software) ARE IMPORTANT, maybe you guys bought a 7" browser device and don't need apps, but i bought a BlackBerry PlayBook and im quite happy with the apps i bought and very eager to see what else can devs do when cascades is released.

[omniusovermind]

Feast your eyes my friend:

Check out Fancy Widgets! You can find it at Buy Fancy Widgets - Download Fancy Widgets - Buy Apps from BlackBerry App World

lol yeah I have that one on android as well. OK so now I'm confused... what is a BB10 touchscreen phone bringing to the table then that you can't already do on a Torch, besides swipe gestures?

[GenTarkin]

Yeah, I agree w/ OP, apps arent really needed they are more of a convienient toy from time to time, most anything can be done on webpages.
There are a few essential apps that I use and games - well games I guess are the only "apps" that there is no website for.
I think people are forgetting what bookmarks are and want an app instead...ROFL!
Which reminds me, that is one awesome thing about playbook - the ability to put bookmarks right on your homescreen. I dont know if other tablets do this but... its the perfect substitution for an app.

[DX9]

Yes Apps sell. Apple is successful because they constantly put out Top end products all the time. Obviously Blackberry users would like to see RIM worth 550 Billion which Apple is instead of it only being 7.6 billion. People buy Apple products cause they are easy to use and work well. Apple sells almost 12 million iPads in 1 quarter compared to 500,000 Playbooks with even the Playbook priced in half??? I bought an iMac a couple months ago and will never go back to PC again. I have a Playbook and the new iPad and I haven't used my Playbook in weeks since I got the LTE iPad. I wasnt a huge app guy but the Sports Apps I like are simply amazing on the iPad. TSN for example is top notch. Why would I want to go into the Browser and go that route instead of just clicking the TSN app and have an amazing interface? I can go into TSN full site if I wanted to watch highlights and videos anyways since they have HTML5 and not just flash.

Like I said apps sell and Apple has done an amazing job at utilizing it in marketing. Its not just the Apps Apple has but the quality of the App the developer puts forth. I have the Score App on my Playbook and it is nowhere comparable to the TSN app for iPad. The TSN app totally eats it. Another example how poor the Facebook App is for the Playbook comapred to the iPad. Playbook app is choppy, interface isn't as nice etc. Playbook doesn't have high quality apps and seems it will not ever get them.

[NakedPaulToast]

Can somebody answer me this, if the majority of iphone owners are not sheep, how come one third of iphone 4 owners thought it was 4G?

Because 4G has demonstrated itself to be one of the most confusing standards in not only the telecom industry, but many industries.

This confusion of 4G is multi-faceted:

• 4G was used and Marketed before 4G's definition was ratified.
• The 4G specifications changed multiple times prior to specification.
• Carriers marketed their service as being 4G, when they weren't.
• Others marketed their services as being 4G-like, or having 4G-speeds.
• ATT even went as far as displaying a 4G carrier symbol on the iPhone 4s
• Phone kiosk sales people lie and exaggerate to make sales.
• Many people really don't concern themselves with intimate knowledge of the underlying technical specifications of their technology.

I'm assuming your one third statistic is coming from the same survey that put Android users at 29% and BB users at 24%.

The difference is explainable because some of the Android users were actually on 4G systems. And many iPhone users were told they were on 4G systems while looking at a 4G carrier icon.

But I think the better question to be asking is; what kind of sheep doesn't understand why people are confused is an area where confusion is well understood and why he thinks that one third of confused people supports his claim that the majority are therefore sheep.

[belfastdispatcher]

Yes Apps sell. Apple is successful because they constantly put out Top end products all the time. Obviously Blackberry users would like to see RIM worth 550 Billion which Apple is instead of it only being 7.6 billion.

I never understood this mentality, I want the company I buy a product from to work hard for my money and appreciate my custom. I DO NOT want them to make stupid profits out of me. If they make stupid profits I'm obviously paying them too much.

[GenTarkin]

I bought an iMac a couple months ago and will never go back to PC again.

Thats until your imac breaks and you realize you have to pay 3-4x more to get it fixed, and its the same exact damn thing as a PC except the software. But yet you pay 3-4x more for parts because the way apple locks down on you.

I love the people who buy macs because they think the HDD in a mac surely wont have the same chance of going bad as in a PC... idiots...
(not referring to you, just its a hilarious assumption on the part of our customers when they tell us this is the reason for goin mac)

[barskin]

Oh, please. The lack of applications available to the PlayBook is a major problem. It is proven very time we have one of these a) "apps don't matter" or b) "[fill in major development here] is coming and we will have apps galore!" threads. I've never bought an iPad mainly because I don't want to be stuck in the iOnly world, seeing that I have never been a Mac person, but not because I don't recognize that it is apparently and excellent device. I do use Android tablets and like what they have to offer. And I use my PB and what it has to offer. BUT... to me these are only devices. They are there to work for me, not something I am to worship and declare loyalty to. I do not care who loves one thing or is bored by another or thinks something is "laggy." Why should it bother me what someone prefers or doesn't? Why should it bother you?

[cleacy]

You guys are talking like the whole apps thing was Apple's idea, when the iphone came out it didnt even supported 3rd party apps other than webapps, their stance was that since their browser was so good and revolutionary (it was) that people could do anything with safari, RIM, Palm and Windows mobile on the other hand had a very healthy app catalogue (for that time), it was dev community that saw the huge potential on Apple's hardware and started developing apps, people demanded them and Apple had to give in (smart move), i think i even saw an article here on Crackberry written by our very own fearless leader Kevin stating that since the iphone didnt have any app support it couldn't even be considered a smartphone (i could be wrong on this, it's been a long time).

So no Apple didnt brainwashed anyone into thinking that apps were necessary, it was quite the opposite actually.

And one last thing, Apps (aka software) ARE IMPORTANT, maybe you guys bought a 7" browser device and don't need apps, but i bought a BlackBerry PlayBook and im quite happy with the apps i bought and very eager to see what else can devs do when cascades is released.

I remember this. I had a first generation ipod touch previous to the app store existing. At the time, Apple's opinion was people didn't need 3rd party native applications on the ipod/iphone, webapps running through the browser were good enough.

End result... Jailbreak, and install apps written by people and released without going through Apple. They saw this, accepted that this is what customers wanted and changed their stance, and created the App Store.

[Marty_LK]

Oh, please. The lack of applications available to the PlayBook is a major problem. It is proven very time we have one of these a) "apps don't matter" or b) "[fill in major development here] is coming and we will have apps galore!" threads. I've never bought an iPad mainly because I don't want to be stuck in the iOnly world, seeing that I have never been a Mac person, but not because I don't recognize that it is apparently and excellent device. I do use Android tablets and like what they have to offer. And I use my PB and what it has to offer. BUT... to me these are only devices. They are there to work for me, not something I am to worship and declare loyalty to. I do not care who loves one thing or is bored by another or thinks something is "laggy." Why should it bother me what someone prefers or doesn't? Why should it bother you?

So is it more important to have a name-brand app than a generic one that works just as well? If anyone looks into the Appworld, they will find apps that provide the functionality of most name-brand apps. There are some exceptions, like Draw Somthing and a few others. But for the most part, the limited number of apps in the Appworld doesn't limit a user from being satisfied with what's there.

[Tre Lawrence]

Oh, please. The lack of applications available to the PlayBook is a major problem. It is proven very time we have one of these a) "apps don't matter" or b) "[fill in major development here] is coming and we will have apps galore!" threads. I've never bought an iPad mainly because I don't want to be stuck in the iOnly world, seeing that I have never been a Mac person, but not because I don't recognize that it is apparently and excellent device. I do use Android tablets and like what they have to offer. And I use my PB and what it has to offer. BUT... to me these are only devices. They are there to work for me, not something I am to worship and declare loyalty to. I do not care who loves one thing or is bored by another or thinks something is "laggy." Why should it bother me what someone prefers or doesn't? Why should it bother you?

No, no. You are wrong. The PB was designed that way, because it doesn't need apps. We, the people, don't need apps. This is just RIM freeing out minds.

The drive to get developers to create apps for PB? It was a clever red herring!

You see... apps are a crutch. Yes, they increase productivity, but TRUST ME: it is brainwashing. Trust me.

It's like a horse salesman telling someone who wants a car "Yo, we don't have an engine in this 4-legged beast, but a saddle is all you need! Those car dealerships have brainwashed you!"

It makes sense. Almost.

[Tre Lawrence]

I never understood this mentality, I want the company I buy a product from to work hard for my money and appreciate my custom. I DO NOT want them to make stupid profits out of me. If they make stupid profits I'm obviously paying them too much.

Read what you wrote. Then read it again.

[belfastdispatcher]

Read what you wrote. Then read it again.

I did, what am i missing?

[barskin]

So is it more important to have a name-brand app than a generic one that works just as well? If anyone looks into the Appworld, they will find apps that provide the functionality of most name-brand apps. There are some exceptions, like Draw Somthing and a few others. But for the most part, the limited number of apps in the Appworld doesn't limit a user from being satisfied with what's there.

Oh, yes, indeed it does, when it doesn't give me my bank or my major newspapers (yes, the apps are different than the web sites alone) or eBay or Paypal -amongst other things. You, yourself, assured me that they would be coming with Cascades, so apparently, you admit they matter, don't you?

[DX9]

I never understood this mentality, I want the company I buy a product from to work hard for my money and appreciate my custom. I DO NOT want them to make stupid profits out of me. If they make stupid profits I'm obviously paying them too much.

Apple can set whatever retail pricing they want. The market allows them to. Good for them making huge profit. Its a business. They have no competition in the tablet industry yet for example. Why on earth would a company lower their gross profit when their product is selling so well and constantly selling out? My products I have a ceiling because I have competition. I can't be over priced. Until Apple has a real competitor out there they will make their boat loads of money. Good for them.