[zektor666]

Since purchasing the Playbook (and some time before) I have read/viewed many reviews online. There are of course gripes, but one of the most common is that the PB does not have as MANY apps as IOS or Android.

Now, I cannot speak of IOS (I am not an Apple guy...that is my brother), but I can speak of Android as I have been with the OS since v1.5 with my HTC Hero. I have seen the market go from many..well...to MANY. But the fact of the matter is that a whole lot of these apps are not very good. Heck, I have seen apps that "accidentally" make it in to the market and do some very bad things to your device. I have seen apps that are literally adware in disguise. It is almost like anything goes there. A wild west of some great apps and some horrible apps all put together in one convenient search engine.

I began not to trust alot of applications, and rarely installed apps. I was reluctant to in most cases.

Since purchasing the PB, I have used the Appworld a multitude of times. I have purchased around 26 apps thus far, and all has been fantastic. I have found so many things that I like. Some great games, cool apps, just some neat stuff. Sure, it is small and growing, but I personally like it better. Things are easier to view and it is not completely overloaded with trash.

My point is (to these reviewers) that quantity does not make for a better experience. I would much rather have a selection of 1000 *good* apps any day over a selection of 100,000 apps that are a little "shady" so to speak!

[kennyliu]

Nobody's complaining that the total number of apps is small. People are mostly complaining about the lack of certain apps that are standard on other OSs. I personally don't care whether App World has 60K or 6 million apps as long as there a few high quality apps that I personally find to be valuable. Of course, choice is also a good thing. But even then who needs tens or hundreds of thousands of apps?

[zektor666]

Nobody's complaining that the total number of apps is small. People mostly are complaining about the lack of certain apps that are standard on other OSs.

Well, not necessarily true. The last few reviews I read were actually complaining that the Appworld was not as "vast" as the Android Market in terms of actually how many apps in total were available.

But, I understand your point of course. I think we will see the apps we are looking for in due time. Some people want them yesterday (again, understood), but I am personally ok with waiting a bit. There are enough really great apps already available to keep me occupied while I wait

[erodenero]

I had an android device for a little while, a lot of apps on android market, but the time it took to actually find something that i could use...lol i wont elaborate any further. ios however is very well organized, but still too much for someone who wants to make money on the platform, app world is getting there. Im just waiting on 2.0 to see how much dev support they actually end up with, from the sounds of it they're doing a good job attracting developers, lets just hope they stay on board after getting their free pb...i mean cmon how could they not lol

[rotorwrench]

Although I've heard the "certain apps" complaints; on this forum and in reviews, the lack of quantity has appeared to be the most common complaint. Always the slipping in of the number of Android apps or iPad apps. Especially from those "looking at buying a PB" most recently in the last few days, numbers.

We could all use some additional quality apps, and they keep coming, but from the complaints I've seen on the android forums, I too prefer quality over quantity. IMO

[TheStoof]

People want game apps, not non-game apps. That's the issue.

The hottest apps (including non-games) are these:

AIM
Skype
Netflix
Hulu
All major games
MSN
Yahoo
Multi-IM apps that aren't $8
Kindle (Android sideloaded works)
etc...etc...etc...

[Blacklatino]

I think ppl want more apps in both categories- games and non-games in AppWorld. But, the edge will definitely go to more games.

[zektor666]

I think ppl want more apps in both categories- games and non-games in AppWorld. But, the edge will definitely go to more games.

Oh sure, I completely agree. I think most of us are gamers at heart I wouldn't mind at all seeing more games. For non-game stuff, I am one of those folks who would love to see Netflix and a dedicated Gmail app above all personally. Why? Because I have a Netflix account and it would rock to be able to watch movies on the go AND hook the PB up to my existing microHDMI-HDMI cable and continue at home on the big screen. As for Gmail..well, that is obvious. It has been my primary email for a long long time!

Again, we are all looking for something. It is hard to believe that RIM isn't listening...somewhere.

[gtsc26]

I'm happy with App World so far, except recently i do find crappy apps appearing in App World... Could it be the free PB deal RIM is giving out to app developer? I do agree with Kenny, I too prefer to have 20 quality apps, compare to thousands of junk apps.

[Chaddface]

If your using the beta software you can see the mounds of garbage apps building. It getting harder to wade through to find something that might be of interest. The thing I find most disturbing is the lack of android labeling. I don't know which apps run natively and which run through that silly player. Hopefully something useful comes out of it but as it stands right now there is a lot of junk.

[rotorwrench]

And when I said quality apps, I wasn't just referring to useful apps, but quality in operation and compatibility. I've already been through crappy and buggy apps that lock my tablet up and cause all manner of chaos when I had the Galaxy. It was a crapshoot sometimes. I've got around 28 apps on my PB so far and not one has caused an issue.

[xKrNMBoYx]

First of all if you have a problem with a reviewer the best thing you can do is comment straightaway into their article/blog/video. Posting on a forum won't help you much or get your point across.

Now back to applications. While I can agree about the problems with adware/viruses/exploits in Apps with Android, a typical user won't get this problem if they download apps carefully. Checking the review of an app will be the first and minimum thing to do to make sure it's safe. iOS really doesn't have this problem.

Now about quantity vs quality. I totally agree with you. It's like weight training, quality is better then quantity (in some/most cases depending on what your goal is.) Apple and their crazy fans can boast about their SUPER DUPER LARGE AMOUNT OF APPS in their App Store, but the truth is most are junk. A lot of the junk apps don't even work, and the developer does not support it. Most of the useful applications on iOS can be found on Android. After OS2 it will be the same with the Playbook.

The significant core of important apps that exist on iOS and Android will most likely be available in the near future. Best thing to hope for is "good" developers. Not people who release crapware. If the apps released on App World can be controlled to allow only quality apps then it will be easy for us users.

While Apple could boast their number of applications, maybe we can boast the organization and lack of broken apps.

.:edit:.

Because RIM campaign to bring in more developers, they will also bring in more faulty applications. The incentives like a free playbook for submitting an app will definitely increase the amount of crapware.

[Carbonetics]

I love the Playbook, but to say I'm "happy" with the app selection would be a stretch, I knew full well when buying the PB that it has it's deficiencies, but was confident they'd be resolved, many of the business "power user" apps didn't exist even a short few weeks ago, but the influx of new blood so to speak has been good for business, I now even have multiple premium options such as Splashtop and Remote Desktop that didn't exist just weeks ago.

The greatest reason for my concern was that I always knew the apps from the PB would make their way to the first BBX/10 phones and without a quality ecosystem those phone sales will lag like the PB sales did, perpetuating the doom and gloom from "bloggers" and writers alike.

Time will only tell if we're going to get quality over quantity, but I do know that I'm still waiting for the apps I really want to at least "satisfy" me then a choice few more that can finally make me "happy", and if we have to bait the quantity to convince others to bring their quality apps, then so be it.

Hopefully we'll all somehow be able to find the that happy medium of satisfaction in there somewhere.

[Vindicators]

Apple and their crazy fans can boast about their SUPER DUPER LARGE AMOUNT OF APPS in their App Store, but the truth is most are junk.

While Apple could boast their number of applications, maybe we can boast the organization and lack of broken apps.

Unfortunately, it's not the case. Not only appstore have the best quality apps but you got a plenty of choice.

The Playbook AppWorld don't even have a half decent PDF viewer or handwirting apps, spammed with ebook apps but somehow is more organization and lack of broken apps. Really???

[alnamvet68]

I am more then satisfied with the BB App World selection, and with 2.0 around the corner, a few more native apps will just round out what I know to be a superb tablet pc with a perfect selection of apps. The lack of game apps is no skin off my hide; I leave that for the kiddies in the family who play their games on x-boxes and playstations on sizeable screens.

[ALToronto]

I just wish all those stupid ebooks and puzzles from Digi-Media weren't considered separate apps. Now old cartoons, with long-expired copyright protections, are selling for $1 each. This is my biggest gripe with App World. My second biggest gripe is that app vendors have the ability to delete reviews, and some will delete only the negative ones.

So not all is rosy in App World.

[alnamvet68]

Getting back to what I think the OP is talking about, the reality has always been app numbers. After doing a bit of research, virtually every negative review/commentary has always focused on the number of apps in BB App World for the PB, NOT the quality and functionality of the available apps; and in that negative spin, I found it always boiled down to games...freaking games. A close second in this uber-biased demagoguery of the PB, was the whiney drone of a couple native apps, and the soon to join the scrap heap of also rans, Hulu and Netflix, that the PB was missing.

[brucep1]

Getting back to what I think the OP is talking about, the reality has always been app numbers. After doing a bit of research, virtually every negative review/commentary has always focused on the number of apps in BB App World for the PB, NOT the quality and functionality of the available apps; and in that negative spin, I found it always boiled down to games...freaking games. A close second in this uber-biased demagoguery of the PB, was the whiney drone of a couple native apps, and the soon to join the scrap heap of also rans, Hulu and Netflix, that the PB was missing.

You call them whining drones, I say they have a point. Native email was important and the #1 reason the PlayBook wasn't a success.

[kbz1960]

Oh sure, I completely agree. I think most of us are gamers at heart I wouldn't mind at all seeing more games. For non-game stuff, I am one of those folks who would love to see Netflix and a dedicated Gmail app above all personally. Why? Because I have a Netflix account and it would rock to be able to watch movies on the go AND hook the PB up to my existing microHDMI-HDMI cable and continue at home on the big screen. As for Gmail..well, that is obvious. It has been my primary email for a long long time!

Again, we are all looking for something. It is hard to believe that RIM isn't listening...somewhere.

Why would you need a gmail app when you will be able to use the new email client?

Yep a lot of crap and hope those most productive and "must have" apps come. You know netflix for research, hulu for a second opinion on research and skype so someone can have a video chat about their movie research.

But seriously hope they get there.

[Tre Lawrence]

I see folks mention how hard it is to find apps on other platforms. How so? It takes me seconds to find legit offerings.

[kbz1960]

I see folks mention how hard it is to find apps on other platforms. How so? It takes me seconds to find legit offerings.

Sure if you know the name of the app you're looking for. How about if you're just looking around?

[alnamvet68]

You call them whining drones, I say they have a point. Native email was important and the #1 reason the PlayBook wasn't a success.

Meh...I'm of the firm belief these small and oh so minor pseudo-shortcomings of the PB only preoccupy even smaller closed minds.

[nojotech]

There's a few assumptions being made in the thread about what people want. For me I bought the playbook because it was low cost at the time and I believe that some big players will be entering the app market for Playbook soon. I am not a gamer and gaming is not what I bought the Playbook for.

I find the Playbook good for my media files and as a player, in fact I believe it to be exceptional at that. But, I am also into various hobbies, I enjoy birding and astronomy. I have hopes that National Geographic of Sibley's will port their apps to the Playbook eventually for birding. For now Stars Up is not a bad app for astronomy and it may get even better when OS 2 is out. But there are a number of very good astronomy apps for other platforms I would like to see.

I'm also hoping for a good navigation app that doesn't require wifi. A good selection of interactive reference guides would be nice.

The hardware is great, but the number of apps does hurt. Everyone has different interests and hobbies, so the more the merrier. As for quality, it doesn't take long for users to report poor quality apps and I always research them before purchasing so this isn't so much an issue.

[OttawaGabe]

Most of the people who don't understand the comparisons are the people who've never taken a good look at the Apple appstore. The free stuff alone is so good, the top 100 list is full of all sorts of apps from productivity, games, creative apps etc. There's many free PDF viewers and annotators, as well as paid ones with much better functionality than anything in PB. I have multiple _free_ apps that let me text, and call (not just ip to ip, but ip to landline - for free).

The Android appworld and Apple appworld are very different. All iOS apps have to be approved by Apple, so the chances of malware and such getting thru is very low. That also improves the quality very significantly.

Then there's the fact that many iOS apps will run on the iPhone, iPod _and_ iPad, optimized for each screen size and resolution. So when a developer creates an app, the audience is that much larger.

I've only had my PB for a few weeks, and I've already looked at all the apps in the appworld. If you didn't know there was better, then it's fine. If you're coming from iOS, the first thought is probably "that's it?!? ... where's the next page".

But I didn't buy my PB for the diversity of apps, I bought it because it supported flash, and a few main apps were already supported. I looked forward very much to OS 2.x, and hopefully a few more worthwhile apps will show up.

[Tre Lawrence]

Sure if you know the name of the app you're looking for. How about if you're just looking around?

Seconds, literally. Put in a search word, find the ones with the highest adoption/satisfaction rates.

I do usually peruse forums first, to be fair.