1. Bakamushi's Avatar
    I love my playbook concerning the hardware, but like many people here I don't understand the software shortcomings. Like, after one year, an email app that doesn't provide vertical typing, for a 7" tablet, and from a renowned vertical typing manufacturer.

    The possibility to install Android app can be considered a plus, plus it can also be considered pathetic : "Hey, our software offer aspires substances through its oral orifice, but we offer you the possibility to use the apps of the competitors, which are much better."

    It can also be considered technically clumsy : using an emulator, sideloading...

    To put it shortly the present Android contrivance can be felt as getting in the way of really using Android apps.

    As far as I know RIM devs are still working on bridge things, or novelties in syncing playbooks among themselves. Which means they are targeting a market share of users that have a blackberry phone and need a blackberry tablet, or/and users who need to collaborate between playbooks only and not the majority of tablet users in the world and at work (like you can video-talk with people with playbooks but not with clients who use Skype....). This seems to me an irrelevant market share, quantitatively speaking.

    So, if RIM decidedly insists on keeping the present playbook dev team, why not leave the clients the possibility of moving to a richer and more sensibly developed platform ? Which would most probably improve the sales of playbooks by the way...

    I still think that QNX is potentially a much better OS than Android. However the present playbook dev team are too much of a handicap, and there seems to be no intention at all from RIM to replace them. I know that if I had the possibility to erase OS2 completely and install a port of Android, I would.

    And by doing so I would make a much better reputation for RIM when showing my playbook to my friends and colleagues.
    Last edited by Bakamushi; 03-08-12 at 03:27 PM.
    notfanboy likes this.
    03-08-12 03:25 PM
  2. robsteve's Avatar
    It may be easier for you to shift to Android than for RIM or App programmers to make the PlayBook suit your needs.
    03-08-12 03:37 PM
  3. BB_Bmore's Avatar
    Thanks now go buy a Android tablet, while I wait for this baby of an os become the very best. Why? Because like you I also have an opinion and I have faith the os will come full circle soon enough.
    03-08-12 03:40 PM
  4. twdawson's Avatar
    I came to playbook from an Android device and could not be happier. As soon as my contract is up for my android phone I will replace it with a blackberry.

    Android is so fragmented it's become a joke.
    03-08-12 03:45 PM
  5. SumthinNew's Avatar
    Android was an added feature, not the star of the show!
    QNX/BB10 is the star and thus should be the focal point!
    Zildjian71 likes this.
    03-08-12 03:45 PM
  6. samab's Avatar
    The short answer is this --- Android makes zero money for hardware makers. Just look at HTC's financial numbers posted last week.
    Zildjian71 likes this.
    03-08-12 03:46 PM
  7. BerryClever's Avatar
    My personal opinion on moving from QNX to an Android OS is that if they did, I would move to an iPad. Android is not the better OS, I think, but rather the better marketed device... or should I say devices (which also helps the Android platform to succeed as they do).

    The reason, I think, that the Android app was brought in was to provide filler for those who wanted more apps (any apps), and to try and bring developers over to the Playbook and eventually the BB10.

    Every OS has shortcomings, but I find my Android phone has more than the OS2 (or OS1). All OSs have their "WTF were they thinking not doing it this way or not providing that feature", but looking at security, quality of connectivity (like bridge), and quality of native apps/OS UI... QNX is the way to go. Not to mention the fact that Google has NO support, just forums.

    QNX is evolving as all OSs do, but I believe the short term handicaps are being fixed with a longer term (months, not years) plan. Right now QNX is better than the Android by and far (can't really comment on iOS), but the problem is marketing and being on a closed device. Apple does GREAT marketing, Google lets the many other phone manufactures do mass marketing, and RIM... well I think their Marketing team is made up of two people. I cannot remember the last time I seen a BlackBerry commercial on TV, and never seen one featuring their PlayBook.
    Last edited by BerryClever; 03-08-12 at 03:49 PM.
    03-08-12 03:47 PM
  8. dbmalloy's Avatar
    The main resaon not ot switch to Android is tha QNX good or bad differentiates itself from the rest..... If you switch to Android......then your tablet becomes awash in the sea of Android devices with nothing to make them different....
    eternalemb, Zildjian71 and Denus like this.
    03-08-12 03:49 PM
  9. Bakamushi's Avatar
    QNX is potentially much better. It would just need that RIM dev team to be removed from the way. But I don't see it coming so...
    03-08-12 03:59 PM
  10. djnshores's Avatar
    There are too many flavors of the Android operating system and the one that is most commonly seen is OS 2.3 that is not optimized for tablets. Android 3.0 and 4.0 represent a very small percentage of the market. These versions are not widely accepted and there are plenty of compatibility issues. Fragmentation is the reason that Android tablets are floundering compared to Apple.

    RIM's QNX is IMO superior to the Android OS. But it is a niche player right now. RIM needs to get more developers on board to come up with "killer" apps for the Playbook and to make it easier to load and run Android apps.
    Zildjian71 likes this.
    03-08-12 04:10 PM
  11. samab's Avatar
    QNX is potentially much better. It would just need that RIM dev team to be removed from the way. But I don't see it coming so...
    It has nothing to do with the dev team. The delays come from the very top --- when RIM executives couldn't make a decision on ditching java --- which led them to make their original "native" email app to be a java app that was played inside a java player on the Playbook.

    The bridge app and the remote control are in --- the handset side. All the Playbook team did was having Bluetooth HID profile done on the Playbook.

    Same thing with TAT's demos --- TAT has 200 people working on the Cascades UI tools and maybe 5 people working on these futuristic demo's.
    03-08-12 04:13 PM
  12. auto208562's Avatar
    I agree that qnx is potentially better. But just a better OS is not enough, at least not for the masses. You can also make the case for webos also; that it was a better OS but see what happened.

    I tend to agree with dbmalloy that if they switched, it would just be another android tablet, with no differentiation so that is not a good option.

    I just hope they get more app developers because just a solid OS is not good enough imho.
    Zildjian71 likes this.
    03-08-12 04:14 PM
  13. Bakamushi's Avatar
    4.0 is opened-sourced. Why not make a customized interface like HTC or Samsung do ?

    Well I mean why not ANOTHER team create a customized interface... because the present ones would be capable of ridiculing even Ice Cream Sandwich. For example by removing vertical typing from the email app, or adding Twitter private messages inside the email app...
    03-08-12 04:14 PM
  14. papped's Avatar
    So the idea is to drop all currently developed tools and lose all investment in the current OS and dev tools, and start from scratch to make tablets for an OS that 3rd party manufacturers are having a hard time competing in to begin with....

    Just trying to follow the logic here....
    03-08-12 04:15 PM
  15. alnamvet68's Avatar
    There is no logic; the OP just wants to please friends and collegues, of whom I could give a ratz a$$ about pleasing.
    taylor96, BBPandy and Pdinos3 like this.
    03-08-12 04:17 PM
  16. samab's Avatar
    4.0 is opened-sourced. Why not make a customized interface like HTC or Samsung do ?

    Well I mean why not ANOTHER team create a customized interface... because the present ones would be capable of ridiculing even Ice Cream Sandwich. For example by removing vertical typing from the email app, or adding Twitter private messages inside the email app...
    The email app will get portrait mode --- they just haven't enabled it yet.
    03-08-12 04:18 PM
  17. Bakamushi's Avatar
    So the idea is to drop all currently developed tools and lose all investment in the current OS and dev tools, and start from scratch to make tablets for an OS that 3rd party manufacturers are having a hard time competing in to begin with....
    Not exactly. I couldn't care less about what RIM are doing now. I'm not buying another device from people who don't provide a native Twitter app, and chose to spend time to put Twitter private messages inside the email app instead.

    No I would just like RIM to make the port easier for others.

    As for friends and colleagues, I don't know anyone who has a playbook. Some have blackberry phones, even those are not interested in a playbook.
    03-08-12 04:31 PM
  18. papped's Avatar
    Not exactly. I couldn't care less about what RIM are doing now. I'm not buying another device from people who don't provide a native Twitter app, and chose to spend time to put Twitter private messages inside the email app instead.
    There are native twitter applications. Now if you are that sore about it not being developed by RIM so be it....

    Regardless I still don't understand your original point. Your post just now didn't answer anything in regards to why using android OS at this point would net a better result for RIM.

    Using android OS on a tablet for a 3rd party manufacturer is very far from a guaranteed good result. In fact, so far the result has been the opposite for most...
    03-08-12 04:34 PM
  19. 1959gazza's Avatar
    Mr Bakamushi, judging by your other recent posts, I'm not sure that you have any BlackBerry anything. Never mind not buying another.
    Last edited by 1959gazza; 03-08-12 at 04:40 PM.
    myfairkadie and Pdinos3 like this.
    03-08-12 04:38 PM
  20. samab's Avatar
    No I would just like RIM to make the port easier for others.
    How hard is the porting when Handster repackaged thousands of android apps for RIM --- without having the source codes of the original android apps.
    03-08-12 04:42 PM
  21. Bakamushi's Avatar
    The email app will get portrait mode --- they just haven't enabled it yet.
    I know many people at RIM are working hard, and I realize my tone may seem very rude. However the email app was just an example.

    Did you know that when you look at Appworld users comments from a European country, the accented characters of the language are often not displayed correctly ? Come on if you see that kind of flaw in a European context, you think it's a one-man home business !

    RIM is Canadian and cannot even display French correctly in the Appworld comments !
    03-08-12 04:48 PM
  22. papped's Avatar
    Did you know that when you look at Appworld users comments from a European country, the accented characters of the language are often not displayed correctly ? Come on if you see that kind of flaw in a European context, you think it's a one-man home business !

    RIM is Canadian and cannot even display French correctly in the Appworld comments !
    Google Groups

    By that note, Android Marketplace must also be a one man home business....
    03-08-12 04:50 PM
  23. kennyliu's Avatar
    I actually like the PBOS UI better. I would consider an Android tablet if they ported the PBOS UI to Android 5.
    03-08-12 04:51 PM
  24. Bakamushi's Avatar
    Google Groups

    By that note, Android Marketplace must also be a one man home business....
    I recommend you learn what native apps and accented characters are first.
    03-08-12 04:55 PM
  25. alnamvet68's Avatar
    I recommend you actually buy a device that your friends and collegues approve of.
    Pdinos3 likes this.
    03-08-12 05:04 PM
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