[Bballbenb]

Can anyone please explain why Google makes it so difficult for Blackberry users now? What I would give for a Drive and Maps app! Let alone earth, hangouts, etc.

It seems like Google has really stopped supporting Blackberry at all. Is this due to the decline in users? Say if the Q10 is a huge hit, would Google possibly start porting some apps like they do for iOS? Blackberry is not a competitor like Microsoft and Windows 8, so why not? All it will do is get more people using more google products which makes them more money.

Sorry just had to vent! It frustrates me because I feel like that is all Blackberry is missing...

[simu31]

Can anyone please explain why Google makes it so difficult for Blackberry users now? What I would give for a Drive and Maps app! Let alone earth, hangouts, etc.

It seems like Google has really stopped supporting Blackberry at all. Is this due to the decline in users? Say if the Q10 is a huge hit, would Google possibly start porting some apps like they do for iOS? Blackberry is not a competitor like Microsoft and Windows 8, so why not? All it will do is get more people using more google products which makes them more money.

Sorry just had to vent! It frustrates me because I feel like that is all Blackberry is missing...

It's probably because of many things, including that Google are so self obsessed.

Unfortunately, the Google apps are not all that's missing (you just have to spend a few minutes reading through the different 'I want Netflix', 'I want Instagram', 'I want....' threads to know that), and I'm personnally not missing any of them. I don't need most of the bandwidth destroying apps they make (yes, they're pretty, but I can get by on the alternatives)

Whether you want to believe it or not, BlackBerry is competition for Google/Android, far more so than Windows [in the mobile space], so I'm not sure why you think WP would be any more of a competitor than BlackBerry. If anything, BlackBerry still holds the number 3 spot, so they're more of a threat than WP.

Si.

[Tre Lawrence]

Nothing sinister. It's a simple matter of ROI. Heck, the day Android users stop providing eyeballs, Google will cut them off too.

If/when BBRY marketshare increases, Gapps will be here.

[Gnomesane]

Blackberry is competing with Google in the mobility market, and the userbase is not large like Apple so Google has no incentive to develop any apps for the platform unfortunately. Having said that you can sideload Google Maps with driving directions (Latitude) and it works:

Goodereader is a good pit stop for downloading: Blackberry Playbook and BB10 Android Apps :: Android APP Store – Blackberry Playbook & Z10 and Q10 Apps

Guides for installing:
How to put Android apps onto your BlackBerry 10 phone (Windows Guide) | CrackBerry.com
How to put Android apps onto your BlackBerry 10 phone (Mac Guide) | CrackBerry.com

[Dgree03]

During D11 today Google SVP of Android said there reason for not fully supporting "other" platforms is "reach."

[Tre Lawrence]

During D11 today Google SVP of Android said there reason for not fully supporting "other" platforms is "reach."

The simple answer is sometimes the right one.

[Bballbenb]

Google to Microsoft and BlackBerry: Get more users and we'll make you some apps - Pocket-lint

There is the article about D11. Call me crazy, but it makes me feel optimistic. I really feel like if the Q10 sells well enough, Google will start making a few apps. Most Blackberry users I know and the ones who have said on Crackberry use gmail. I think there is a big user base that uses their products.

In regards to my earlier comment about them not being competitors, I meant it as in regards to products. Blackberry makes phones and tablets, but Microsoft makes email, browser, Operating System, Xbox, Skype, Sky Drive, etc. All of those products are in competition directly with Google. Blackberry does not have any desktop products other than the desktop software. That was my point in the competition. That's why I can see why Google does not want to make for Windows 8 especially when they have a low user base. Now since they do not compete against Blackberry other than the Mobile market, I could see them more likely to make apps than for Microsoft, if the user base is big enough. Time will tell!!

[Dgree03]

Google to Microsoft and BlackBerry: Get more users and we'll make you some apps - Pocket-lint

There is the article about D11. Call me crazy, but it makes me feel optimistic. I really feel like if the Q10 sells well enough, Google will start making a few apps. Most Blackberry users I know and the ones who have said on Crackberry use gmail. I think there is a big user base that uses their products.

In regards to my earlier comment about them not being competitors, I meant it as in regards to products. Blackberry makes phones and tablets, but Microsoft makes email, browser, Operating System, Xbox, Skype, Sky Drive, etc. All of those products are in competition directly with Google. Blackberry does not have any desktop products other than the desktop software. That was my point in the competition. That's why I can see why Google does not want to make for Windows 8 especially when they have a low user base. Now since they do not compete against Blackberry other than the Mobile market, I could see them more likely to make apps than for Microsoft, if the user base is big enough. Time will tell!!

Right, all Google cares about is how many eyeballs they can reach with there adverts. If Android no longer provided them the visability, I am sure Google would drop android like a bad habit.

If there is a ROI potential to the time it takes to create and support yet another platform, then they will do it. However it makes you wonder, with a company the size of Google and seemingly unlimited resources, you would think it would be a drop in the bucket to develop for other platforms. If Google has a hard time supporting "other" platforms, what does that mean for much smaller, resource strapped organizations when it come to the question of developing for BBRY?

With that thought in mind, it still seems like BBRY has a very steep hill to climb with apps.

[John Pawling]

During D11 today Google SVP of Android said there reason for not fully supporting "other" platforms is "reach."

So very true. They want the royalties from someone buying an android phone. ;-)

Posted via CB10 v1.4.2 on my Zed10 10.1.0.273 on Rogers

[Fr3lncr]

Google to Microsoft and BlackBerry: Get more users and we'll make you some apps - Pocket-lint

There is the article about D11. Call me crazy, but it makes me feel optimistic. I really feel like if the Q10 sells well enough, Google will start making a few apps. Most Blackberry users I know and the ones who have said on Crackberry use gmail. I think there is a big user base that uses their products.

Makes me want to buy another Z10 to increase numbers! (Actually I'm getting a second one for the missus so that's two at least).

Personally not a gmail fan at all but I do rely heavily on Google Maps and if I could have that on my Z10, I wouldn't have to rely on the Nexus 4 as a backup phone for traveling. The web site version just doesn't cut it.

Anyways, hopefully in a year we'll get it. I assume it will be at least that long since Windows Phone doesn't have it yet (or does it??).