[CrackedBarry]

The problem is the quality of apps, and if you look at the apparent quality/design of Playbook apps out now, it certainly doesnt look too good.

Apples app store didn't get to where it is by just having the highest number of apps, they got there by having the highest number of QUALITY apps.

The little independent developers that might be tempted by a free Playbook/OS10 device won't cut it. Thats why most experts are very doubtful whether OS10 will be a success.

[Sith_Apprentice]

App world has come a long way recently with games (Chimpact, Galaxy on Fire, etc) but nothing in the application department (specifically productivity)

[undone]

He proved the point at as a BB user, he will get one. Under estimating this kind of response begs the same analysis that Apple got when they first entered the smart phone market.

Never under estimate consumers. They will always do the most unexpected.

[Real Estate Appraiser]

So was the Sega Saturn.

And yet, due to the lack of support in software, i.e., games, it ultimately failed. Let's hope BB10 doesn't share the same fate, i.e., a phenomenal device with an exceptional OS that had no third-party support.

Remember Soul Caliber. Excellent game.

[lorax1284]

Author took the time to comment on app availability, but no mention of ease of porting Android apps, Flash support and best-in-class HTML5 support... and again with the tired "...but is it too late???" (cue "dramatic eagle" clip) in the article title.

Yes, a fair article for the most part, but if he's in a position where Twits are asking him for his educated opinion, he should either a) BE proactively educated, OWN it, and not omit important pertinent information, or b) say "I don't know, I haven't looked into it very deeply, research it yourself", or redeem himself with c) amend the article with a postscript "mea culpa: I should have addressed the apps issue by clarifying BB10 does support Android apps, etc.". As it is, all he has done is repeat the old "not enough apps" trope, completely unqualified (the trope, and the author, a bit)... kind-of opposite to what the target readership needs.

And this is in CIO Magazine, where the I stands for Information

[CrackedBarry]

Or perhaps it's just a fact that neither Android player nor HTML5 capability is as big an issue or as decisive as developer support?

The Android player has numerous issues, the largest one being that it only supports older apps limited in their functionality, and as for HTML5 support, browsers can be updated when HTML5 really becomes an issue.

Writers cant go into detail on every single isssue. Or would you like to, in the interest on fairness, go on about now, the HTML5 support in both Android and Apple browsers is good enough, and that hey're still faster and more stable than the browser in the Playbook if feedback from reviewers and most users is to be believed.

[Darlaten]

Author took the time to comment on app availability, but no mention of ease of porting Android apps, Flash support and best-in-class HTML5 support... and again with the tired "...but is it too late???" (cue "dramatic eagle" clip) in the article title.

I'm not sure the ease of Android is something to get all that excited about. It's been my experience, from reading the comments on Crackberry's own forums that individuals ask, when an app does appear, whether or not it is an Android port and, if so, indicate that they refuse to download it (e.g., just look at Crackberry's own android port for the forums that was posted today) or ask the developers to develop a native app.

We even see arguments being made by some that Android has been one of the worst things to have happened to the Playbook in that the Android apps are either utter garbage, function poorly, or that the Playbook's Player for Android is in itself highly unstable thereby rendering the experience of using Android on the Playbook to be mediocre at best. There is also speculation that having the ability to port Android apps over easily has in fact prevented people from learning how to code natively for the Playbook as they take the easier way out and port over something without proper consideration to the specifications of the Playbook.

In any event, I dont think that the ablity to do Android is what would sell the Playbook as a device to consumers - if consumers want that system, they will buy a dedicated Android system. At best, it's a nice afterthought - but a key selling point? I doubt it.

[varunsain]

BB10 will just save the entire mobile market.

[greatwiseone]

At BB10Jam, RIM is basically de-emphasize the Android Player and the Air SDK (basically not saying anything other than telling people they will be updated). Native and html5, that's what RIM wants you to use. Frankly, for indie dev's, I think RIM has definitely created a lot of excitement with the device seeding etc. What remains to be seen is whether marty mallick is able to convince the big apps (your com2us, zygna, flipboard, pulse etc.) to develop for blackberry 10. Here's hoping it will happen...

[crunch27]

I am counting away the months...the days...the minutes...the seconds. This is worse than waiting for Christmas as a little kid.

I think BB10 will be a huge success and past BB users will be back, maybe not right away; but they will be back.

[Disparishun]

Author took the time to comment on app availability, but no mention of ease of porting Android apps, Flash support and best-in-class HTML5 support... and again with the tired "...but is it too late???" (cue "dramatic eagle" clip) in the article title.

Yes, but it is not an article that is biased against BlackBerry. Realistically, this is a pretty good preview of where a lot of the coverage is going to head once the BB10 devices are out.

Here's what I do not get. Given the importance of this launch to RIM as a company, why on earth aren't they simply taking $100 million or so, placing it in the hands of some people who know what they are doing, and having them commission best-in-class apps that are ready at launch time?

I mean, every credible app maker around should right now have their hands full trying to fill RIM orders for useful, fluid apps that will meet the needs of the marketplace. Why isn't RIM doing this? What am I missing here? Is there not a way to get this message to them?

[herculesinwyoming]

I Think a good portion of Android and Iphone users are ready to move on and try a totally new OS. Ios and android pretty much lost the WOW factor long ago.

[lorax1284]

Native and html5, that's what RIM wants you to use. Frankly, for indie dev's, I think RIM has definitely created a lot of excitement with the device seeding etc. What remains to be seen is whether marty mallick is able to convince the big apps (your com2us, zygna, flipboard, pulse etc.) to develop for blackberry 10. Here's hoping it will happen...

...but for apps that are reluctant, repackaging the Android app is a shortcut... a repackaged Android app won't shine like a star on BB10 without a Native port, but neither will any app that isn't rewritten for the target OS... compare the UIs of Skype on Android, WP7.5 and iOS. You'd swear they were written on three different planets, nevermind just targetting three different platforms.

Yes, but it is not an article that is biased against BlackBerry. Realistically, this is a pretty good preview of where a lot of the coverage is going to head once the BB10 devices are out.

I agree: all-round positive article, but taking the time to post that someone tweeted a question about the breadth of apps available, then he took the time to answer it in the article as opposed to private email or offhand in some kind of "comments" section below the article is what gets me. If you're writing and article, and part of the article is a specific question from someone, and you choose to answer the question rather than say "I have no idea" (which would make inclusion of the question in the article pointless), BE BOTHERED to RESEARCH the issue, current state of app development, not just spout what ya heard on the TEE-vee.

Here's what I do not get. Given the importance of this launch to RIM as a company, why on earth aren't they simply taking $100 million or so, placing it in the hands of some people who know what they are doing, and having them commission best-in-class apps that are ready at launch time?

I've wondered the same thing myself, but my thoughts are this: If RIM could pay Microsoft $20,000,000 to put full-featured Skype on BB10, since Microsoft doesn't need the money (the software is, after all, given away free) would Microsoft do it if it was strategically unsound?

There's an app on iPad called "Exoplanet" that's really cool and fun to play with (for astro-nerds like me)... but... it's not something I would ever buy... so what's the incentive for this app to be ported to either Android or BB10. That is to say, what is the incentive for ANY developer to do more than put their app on the single platform they're comfortable developing for, and not struggling to "learn to port" an app over to a platform they have no strong affection for?

RIM's best bet is to hire a team of cross-platform experts: these are developers who would work hard, internally at RIM, mapping the APIS between Android / BB10 / iOS as the ULTIMATE cross-platform-porting team, and whenever they come across an app that would be a compelling addition to BB10, they contact the publisher and, under the strictest of NDAs you can imagine, do the porting FOR the IP owner, and then all the IP owner has to do is CONSENT to have it made available in App World. They would probably not have to spend $100,000,000 doing it, but the consent of the original app developer is the issue.

Or perhaps it's just a fact that neither Android player nor HTML5 capability is as big an issue or as decisive as developer support?

First, developer interest, developer support and developer tools for BB10 are excellent. Disagree if you want, I don't give an eff.

Perhaps. Why didn't he say "and as far as BB10 supporting both HTML5 apps and ported Android apps are concerned... (something informative about that).

Based on what he said about HTML5 support and Android apps, what is YOUR opinion of BB10's app library?

He said nothing, so an opinion formed based on what he said would not be correct, because he left out Android and HTML5 support, good or bad.

You would take away from him saying nothing that it's irrelevant, and I take away that he's not a great journalist, because he didn't say "HTML5 and Android apps on BB10 are <important to consider or irrelevant>."

If you think a good question about BB10 would be "BB10 has Android and HTML5 support... will there be any good apps there?" and he didn't answer that question, then he dropped the ball.

[hootyhoo]

I Think a good portion of Android and Iphone users are ready to move on and try a totally new OS. Ios and android pretty much lost the WOW factor long ago.

What would indicate that? Certainly not the sales numbers or satisfaction polls.

[_StephenBB81]

RIM's best bet is to hire a team of cross-platform experts: these are developers who would work hard, internally at RIM, mapping the APIS between Android / BB10 / iOS as the ULTIMATE cross-platform-porting team, and whenever they come across an app that would be a compelling addition to BB10, they contact the publisher and, under the strictest of NDAs you can imagine, do the porting FOR the IP owner, and then all the IP owner has to do is CONSENT to have it made available in App World. They would probably not have to spend $100,000,000 doing it, but the consent of the original app developer is the issue.

While I love this idea,
Implementing it would be the challenge, to build a team that is THAT skilled it would be costly, AND hard to maintain, people with those skill sets can make a lot of money on their own and doing contract work without the corporate overhead and pressure.


As for Why RIM hasn't paid for some key apps, who is to say they haven't? it would be in their best interest to keep them underwraps until BB10 launches rather then someone saying it would be there and then RIM not being able to come through due to some error.

[lorax1284]

While I love this idea,
Implementing it would be the challenge, to build a team that is THAT skilled it would be costly, AND hard to maintain, people with those skill sets can make a lot of money on their own and doing contract work without the corporate overhead and pressure.

I would compare this role to the people who create food dishes for high-profile consumer product food companies, or chain restaurants, who are creative and very talented... they'd be paid more than your average developers, because they effectively have to be EXPERTS on all three platforms, and constantly chasing the developments (no pun intended) on each. I see a "war room" type of environment, lots of people with sunglasses and headsets and saying "talk to me" and "go Go GO" a lot. But seriously, top developers who are well paid to do what they do, and they are very good at it. I bet it would be quite manageable if they broke the APIs down into categories (like "Image Manipulation", "Audio Playback", "sensors" etc.), and had small teams master the parallel APIs and was able to advise the core BB10 development team on what would be needed in BB10 to make it a superset of both iOS and Android, which would further increase ease of porting.

As for Why RIM hasn't paid for some key apps, who is to say they haven't? it would be in their best interest to keep them underwraps until BB10 launches rather then someone saying it would be there and then RIM not being able to come through due to some error.

I'm pretty sure they have paid some publishers... even if only by way of guaranteeing a certain amount of profit (like the $10000 guarantee, only higher) or by reducing the % they take via App World sales, or co-marketing, etc. As a marketer, I know you want to have a lot of "an one more thing" types of announcements for your launch, but withholding long-sought-after apps for months for an arbitrary launch date announcement could also be interpreted as "being a d*ck to your existing customers". I mean, how will PlayBook owners feel if they find out Skype has been ready for months but only made available when BB10 launches (with due consideration that Skype may have needed APIs only available as of BB10, not in the PlayBook)... so there are diminishing returns on holding things for the big splash, if it soaks your existing, "long suffering" customers in mud :-)

[Blacklatino]

BB10 will just save the entire mobile market.

Ok, I will count to four and snap my fingers and you will wake up. "1, 2......"

[drjay868]

Show the eff'n devices already.

This secrecy is beyond ridiculous... especially for a company in the position RIM is in.

I think you're totally wrong. Because they are in the position they're in, they need to keep whatever innovative things they've done under wraps so that no one else can hijack the ideas.

[jenks5150]

I think you're totally wrong. Because they are in the position they're in, they need to keep whatever innovative things they've done under wraps so that no one else can hijack the ideas.

Exactly. It would be great to out all the details and get consumer sentiment turned around, but if they did that, Samsung would have a 'BB10' S, S II, and S Max Turbo HD++ LTE version out by Christmas of this year.

[dredewten85]

So was the Sega Saturn.

And yet, due to the lack of support in software, i.e., games, it ultimately failed. Let's hope BB10 doesn't share the same fate, i.e., a phenomenal device with an exceptional OS that had no third-party support.

I liked the sega dreamcast better than the saturn but it ran into the same problem. Still that was a good comparison.

[dredewten85]

I Think a good portion of Android and Iphone users are ready to move on and try a totally new OS. Ios and android pretty much lost the WOW factor long ago.

Very true, I own the i4 and when the i5 was announced and I saw everything, I wasn't super impressed. I feel like ill get one of the new blackerries and then the 4s. But it does look like a nice phone though

[mrjakecyrus]

Yes, but it is not an article that is biased against BlackBerry. Realistically, this is a pretty good preview of where a lot of the coverage is going to head once the BB10 devices are out.

Here's what I do not get. Given the importance of this launch to RIM as a company, why on earth aren't they simply taking $100 million or so, placing it in the hands of some people who know what they are doing, and having them commission best-in-class apps that are ready at launch time?

I mean, every credible app maker around should right now have their hands full trying to fill RIM orders for useful, fluid apps that will meet the needs of the marketplace. Why isn't RIM doing this? What am I missing here? Is there not a way to get this message to them?

I agree with your statement 10fold. These developers should be excited that blackberry is trying to make a comeback. And will do so. They should be excited and hopeful that us blackberry users want to use their apps and services. I really think they should have these apps ready to go when BB10 is about to be released.

[SuperionMaximus]

So was the Sega Saturn.

And yet, due to the lack of support in software, i.e., games, it ultimately failed. Let's hope BB10 doesn't share the same fate, i.e., a phenomenal device with an exceptional OS that had no third-party support.

You're thinking of the Dreamcast. The Saturn was lack luster hardware and generally poor software from day 1. The PS One was a much more advanced machine and it showed. The Dreamcast was the wonder machine that should have taken the world by storm but it was to late.

Good analogy though. There are definitely parallels that can be drawn between RIM and Sega. Consumer perception killed Sega's hardware business but so did not responding adequately to a changing market.