[Alex Bogles]

Okay. My fist thread. Here goes.

So I recently purchased a Playbook after I realized that there was a possible way to get android apps onto it. I've read a whole plethora of threads regarding this (specifically the one which covers sideloading apps using a Mac and its Terminal). I put it into development mode, found the .bar file I wanted to put onto me PB only to find Terminal to tell me this:

alex-bogless-macbook:Playbook_Tools abogles$ java -Xmx512M -jar BarDeploy.jar -installApp -device 192.168.2.20 -password secret SkypeBETA.bar
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.UnsupportedClassVersionError: Bad version number in .class file
at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass1(Native Method)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass(ClassLoader.java :676)
at java.security.SecureClassLoader.defineClass(Secure ClassLoader.java:124)
at java.net.URLClassLoader.defineClass(URLClassLoader .java:260)
at java.net.URLClassLoader.access$100(URLClassLoader. java:56)
at java.net.URLClassLoader$1.run(URLClassLoader.java: 195)
at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
at java.net.URLClassLoader.findClass(URLClassLoader.j ava:188)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:3 17)
at sun.misc.Launcher$AppClassLoader.loadClass(Launche r.java:280)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:2 52)
at java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClassInternal(ClassLoade r.java:375)

I then updated my Java, tried it again, only to receive the same message. I don't know if I'm doing something wrong or if it's just not possible on my OS. Some help would be greatly appreciated.

A

And yes, I am using a Mac, if that has not been made clear.

[PowderJockey]

The easiest way to install a bar file is to use DDPB which can be installed on a Windows computer. Connect the Playbook to your computer via USB. Place the Playbook into development mode. Start DDPB and click on scan. It should find your Playbook. Enter the password you created for the Playbook. Then click on add in the upper right and locate your .bar file and place a check mark in the small square beside the app. Click on Install at the bottom. A window will open with the installation process. If the .bar is a good file, the file will install and you should see the app on the Playbook.

I just installed a file and all work just fine on 2.1.0.1314.

[godsend85]

Just to confirm, you're using dpdb for sideloading right? I dont have a mac. There is a chrome extension for sideloading pb apps. Bonus is you can do it wireless as well. Search in the forum, you'll get a thread or two.
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/d...pblnikkp?hl=en

Edit: aah, looking at the log, it seems you're using bardeploy.jar for sideloading. Go for dpdb or the chrome extension. Should work.

Edit: ok, I saw the blog post, you're using the right method. The issue seems with java version. Which java version you've updated? And can you confirm which version of java is getting picked up when you execute the command? Provide Path variable/java -version output

[Alex Bogles]

Unluckily for me, I do not own a PC. Yet.

[godsend85]

Unluckily for me, I do not own a PC. Yet.

Try to use playbook app manager extension. If it doesn't work, then people can help you troubleshooting this.

[FF22]

Yes, check out using Chrome on your mac and install the Playbook manager add-on as suggested.

[Alex Bogles]

Chrome only runs on OSX 10.6+. I have an oooooold MacBook. Doesn't upgrade past 10.5. :/. However, I will be getting a hand-me-down PC in the near future, and it will be running WinXP. Will this "DDPB" work on WinXP?

[karloptimux]

Download localbar2 and squidman.

[stormydawn73]

oh lordy this is where i need help too. my hubby bought our 7 and 5 yr old playbooks in spite of my very vocal objections. the blackberry is not a kid friendly tablet. buttons are stiff they are having a hard time with the swiping and the games suck. i have figured out how to connect the playbook to the comp to sideload and i updated my java and downloaded the ddpb and have it running but for the life of me i cannot find a valid native 3d gallery or honeycomb link for playbook and i am ready to pull my hair out. the kids love the games on my samsung tablet and the games on the ipod and i need to get them on the playbooks. some one please save me. i am not the most computor savy and i have invested hours upon hours trying to find the appropriate download. thanks for the consideration danielle

[karloptimux]

Just upload your games apk to:

http://apk2bar.unker.net/

And hope that they work. Not all android apps are working.

[patc50]

Thanks for the info about the Chrome Extension Playbook Manager for the Mac. I've found the Extension but it won't seem to 'add' to Chrome? It downloads but doesn't seem to 'add' itself to the Chrome browser. (iMac running the latest Mountain Lion, Chrome browser is latest version.)

Any ideas and comments most welcome.

[karloptimux]

Just tried and its working well here. Is gatekeeper on?

[PowderJockey]

Chrome only runs on OSX 10.6+. I have an oooooold MacBook. Doesn't upgrade past 10.5. :/. However, I will be getting a hand-me-down PC in the near future, and it will be running WinXP. Will this "DDPB" work on WinXP?

I don't see why not.

Did you go here or is your Mac too old for this method?

[Alex Bogles]

I uploaded my java, and this is what it says:

J2SE 5.0 v1.5.0_30-b03 (32-bit w/ checkmark beside it)
Java SE 6 v1.6.0_26-b03-384 (64-bit w/checkmark)
J2SE 5.0 v1.5.0_30-b03 (64-bit w/ checkmark beside it)
J2SE 1.4.2 v1.4.2_22 (32-bit w/NO checkmark)

I do have another mac in the house that is running OSX 10.6.8. So I should just get chrome and run Playbook App Manager?

[Alex Bogles]

@ Powder - That is the method i've been painstakingly trying for the past week. Lol.
@ karl - What the **** is Gatekeeper? :P

[karloptimux]

Gatekeeper is a new feature in mountain lion that only allow mac app store apps to be installed. Chrome not being a candidate to that group and possibly installed before ML update is not allowed to be installed and could be passed down to the extentions part.

You can check it in settings and security.

But this was for the gentleman with the IMac. For you, you need to try localbar2 and squidman asap because its working well for my old macs.

[djenkins6]

oh lordy this is where i need help too. my hubby bought our 7 and 5 yr old playbooks in spite of my very vocal objections. the blackberry is not a kid friendly tablet. buttons are stiff they are having a hard time with the swiping and the games suck. i have figured out how to connect the playbook to the comp to sideload and i updated my java and downloaded the ddpb and have it running but for the life of me i cannot find a valid native 3d gallery or honeycomb link for playbook and i am ready to pull my hair out. the kids love the games on my samsung tablet and the games on the ipod and i need to get them on the playbooks. some one please save me. i am not the most computor savy and i have invested hours upon hours trying to find the appropriate download. thanks for the consideration danielle

On the stiff buttons, the playbook is just fine left on all the time and swipe to wake up. They soon pick up the swipes, kids are good with things like that.

As for games, they may not be the same as the ones on other platforms but there are loads in app world so you don't have to sideload. In app world choose Games at the top, then at bottom left choose categories. Once you are in a category, choose All, Paid or Free.

[bitek]

DDBD is awesome. I have sieloaded tons of apps through it.

Sent from Blackberry Playbook using TapaTalk 2

[axeman1000]

Chrome only runs on OSX 10.6+. I have an oooooold MacBook. Doesn't upgrade past 10.5. :/. However, I will be getting a hand-me-down PC in the near future, and it will be running WinXP. Will this "DDPB" work on WinXP?

Yes it runs on both xp and windows 7

[axeman1000]

oh lordy this is where i need help too. my hubby bought our 7 and 5 yr old playbooks in spite of my very vocal objections. the blackberry is not a kid friendly tablet. buttons are stiff they are having a hard time with the swiping and the games suck. i have figured out how to connect the playbook to the comp to sideload and i updated my java and downloaded the ddpb and have it running but for the life of me i cannot find a valid native 3d gallery or honeycomb link for playbook and i am ready to pull my hair out. the kids love the games on my samsung tablet and the games on the ipod and i need to get them on the playbooks. some one please save me. i am not the most computor savy and i have invested hours upon hours trying to find the appropriate download. thanks for the consideration danielle

I got my girls a playbook for christmas each and loaded up easily about two pages (or screens for what you want to call them) and they have not been able to put them down. My girls are 5 and 3 and they know all the gestures, love taking video and pictures, listening to music I loaded for them, and the apps and links i gave them. I would suggest instead of trying to compare it side by side to what android can and cant do, and see what the playbook can do on its own. Branch out and try the games and apps in the app world.You will be surprised to see the quality. As for side loading you only need DDPB and valid signed bar files. Enjoy the playbooks!

[Mellfee]

Alex, you should be able to do this running 10.6 Make sure you have the latest java you can get. Your script in Terminal was correct. I'm new to sideloading myself but just went through the same method using Terminal and it worked fine. I'm running OSx8 though. I installed Google Maps 6.3.0.

Side question to anyone who may know; Once installed I was expecting to see Google Maps as the name/icon on my PB but it's called 'Latitude'. Is that correct? The file was Goole_Maps_6.3.0.bar

[jmzed]

or if it's just not possible on my OS. Some help would be greatly appreciated.

A

And yes, I am using a Mac, if that has not been made clear.

I am still using Tiger 10.4 on one machine and 10.5.8 on my other and following the instructions from this page it all works fine for me. I will do exactly what you have done and see what I get from terminal.


Ps ...it seems you made a typo in one of your posts it should read "LUCKILY for me I do not own a PC" ....keep the faith!

[Alex Bogles]

Chrome + Playbook App Manager worked very nicely! Thank ye all for the sugesstions! Happy new year!

[stormydawn73]

i agree about kids being super genius's on the tablets!!! my daughter needs her proloquo prgram to communitcate and i cant find it for playbook.
is there a free version of angrybirds for playbook? all my kids faves cost $$

[FSeverino]

oh lordy this is where i need help too. my hubby bought our 7 and 5 yr old playbooks in spite of my very vocal objections. the blackberry is not a kid friendly tablet. buttons are stiff they are having a hard time with the swiping and the games suck. i have figured out how to connect the playbook to the comp to sideload and i updated my java and downloaded the ddpb and have it running but for the life of me i cannot find a valid native 3d gallery or honeycomb link for playbook and i am ready to pull my hair out. the kids love the games on my samsung tablet and the games on the ipod and i need to get them on the playbooks. some one please save me. i am not the most computor savy and i have invested hours upon hours trying to find the appropriate download. thanks for the consideration danielle

Danielle, i would have to disagree. Although the PB was clearly not made for children i think that because it is designed for business people (with knowledge based apps in mind) a lot of the people that have created apps for it have done a great job at creating apps for children. I also dont believe that ANY $700 device should be given to anyone that cant afford it themselves... so although ipads and android tablets are great alternatives i think that the PB is a GREAT device for children. It is well built, well spec'd and has ENOUGH apps to keep the kids busy. We have to remember not to spoil or kids with whatever they want whenever they want it.

Also, something to consider (ive said this dozens of times):

Apps are only there to fill in the gaps of ****ty mobile browsers... the playbook doesnt have that problem. go to disney.com, treehouse.ca or any other website you want and your kids can play THE EXACT SAME games that they can play on your computer. Sure you need a wi-fi connection for that... but you get a couple of the games and learning apps from the app world and then the kids can surf the web for themselves after.

If you dont trust them on the web you can get a cool internet homepage and set it up with all of their fave sites so that they just tap on the image and it loads the site go to (links below). Also, i work at a community center and find that all of the younger children love the smaller size and the fact that there are no buttons needed to go in/out of apps. If a child doesnt know how to use the PB i show them the gestures in less than a minute... there is nothing more they need to know. A few gestures is a lot easier to learn than a bunch of gestures and button press combinations. If you teach them properly there wont be a problem, just take time to sit with them and use one of the reading apps or something... they will mimic your movements (as they always do).


Here are the links for the custom html screen (i actually use this same one on the desktop computers at work so the children open the browser and dont have to type anything in at all, it makes the ones who cant spell more comfortable bc they dont have to ask for it infront of their friends)

Crackberry thread:
http://forums.crackberry.com/playboo...eddial-721528/
(use the second one)

Eight browser link (the same as the above):
EIGHT - start page - UPDATE by ~flatmo1 on deviantART

I hope that helps.