[ak1229]

RIMM needs big news to shake all the uncertainity out like a

1. tie up

2. Big app vendors committing to RIMM

3. BB 10 phone/ least an interim Playbook OS phone

[rogeryen]

what i don't understand is, if they are saying this, then why weren't companies scared to develop for webOS when it was in a worse position back then?

[WinningWithLogic]

RIMM needs big news to shake all the uncertainity out like a

1. tie up

2. Big app vendors committing to RIMM

3. BB 10 phone/ least an interim Playbook OS phone

It also wouldn't hurt if they could actually get out the door some decent development tools. There are so many CB enthusiasts who seem to think RIM's native C/C++ is a viable platform at the moment and wonder why us devs aren't making apps using it -we're not, because it isn't! (apart from making OpenGL games). RIM *still* hasn't released Cascades in any form. It's not even a 1.0 framework.

That same inability to execute in making a good product for consumers absolutely applies as well to their ability to create useful/competitive developer tools/frameworks, etc.

Also, only a couple of big app vendors have committed to RIM (Angry Birds, etc.) and really that's only because RIM threw an immense amount of money at them to do it.

Overall though, for developers to come back to RIM they need huge numbers. And not just any type of users either, they need to be "high value" users (not el'cheapo "got my device on heavy discounting and likely won't buy any apps" users) - for example, Android outsells iOS by a good margin, but many devs still target iOS first, for this very reason (higher value users).

Developers aren't ignoring RIM because they're irrational, stupid, lazy, etc. The reasons for ignoring RIM as a development platform today are very sound.

[SnoozerBold]

Its a catch 22 situation that I really hope RIM can get out of. The PB doesn't have many popular apps because developers don't want to develop for a small user base. And many users are hesitant to buy a pb because of the lack of apps.

I hope something can break this cycle. :s

[finkle56]

Lol, wow. The funny thing is, the tone of his post wasn't condescending at all, yet you immediately start your post off with a personal attack.

I don't know why this is so difficult for you to grasp. Developers have limited resources. On top of that, many mobile developers are small, employing only a few people (if that!) and they can't afford to spread themselves thin over tons of different platforms.

I write apps, and I'm a one-person "shop." It makes very little business sense to spend 50 hours writing a native PlayBook port of my Android app, when I could instead spend those 50 hours improving the existing Android app or writing new Android apps altogether. Sure, I might make a bit of money off of the PlayBook version, but my Android version has 560k downloads and is regularly clocking in a quarter of a million ad impressions per day, whereas my PlayBook port would be lucky to hit 10k in a month and would be providing negligible ad revenue. Therefore, with the limited resources I have as a one-person developer, I will allocate more time to Android development because it will make me more money.

I have ported my app over to the app player, and I think RIM made a great decision in developing the App Player to make the conversion process as simple as possible. But I'm sure as h*ll not going to rewrite my app from scratch for an unproven platform from a company with a rocky future (I love RIM, and I hope they can turn things around, I really do, but they're in for a rough ride and nobody can deny that). If I'm going to rewrite my app for a new platform, it'll be iOS (or heck, Windows Phone) long before QNX, sorry.


Oh, and I'm not sure what the Blizzard Entertainment comparison is doing there... they develop exclusively for PC and Mac and have never released a console game, which is hardly catering to all platforms. Even though their games run on a wide variety of systems, many people don't have PCs capable of playing any games simply because they are running crappy Intel IGPs that struggle to run even WoW at it's lowest settings, and thus can only get any serious gaming done on a console. Blizzard is not a studio I would have picked as an example of embracing the masses on all platforms, and I say this as a huge fan of their games.


Edit: And before you chide me for "not maximizing my time because I'm posting on a PlayBook forum", I'm browsing this forum because I'm a PlayBook owner. I wasn't aware that a developer not spending 100% of their waking moments pumping out code was one who was wasting their precious development time.

Well you don't read very well then sir. He said he was wasting his time programming for bb and stated he wanted to maximize his time. If you don't want to program for the bb because you feel your market is to small then so be it. I didn't know you, like so many small entrepreneurs can avoid any market. I am no way saying programming for bb is easy or everyone would do it. Unfortunately, i see more often then not people like you justifying why you won't focus on apps for the platform and yet claim you don't make alot of money making apps for other platforms. I didn't know you could pick and choose when you are trying to make it.

As for your blizzard comments, they were the first to do both platforms at the time of their release. To say they haven't got into making a rpg or rprgp for a console doesn't surprise me because how complicated it is for the controls. Then again, if they made "WOW" for the tablet community, they will make even more money. I am sure they are trying to find a way to make it work because they like making more money then you and I both will see.

Finally you openly stating you won't program for a platform that has a rocky future, then why do you even own a playbook if the future is rocky? QNX is a growing platform not only in the tablet market but also in the car industry. Image you having an app on your ford focus or some other car. I guess it is easier not to have to work for the money you seem to want. I am happy you have a top ten app in the android system and I am happy you ported your app but I find that the android player crashes or hangs more often then not. I have grown tired of the crashing and as always a half attempt to make developers come over. They should stop apologizing to you for not being friendly as good things never come easy.

PS to maximize your time maybe you should stop making excuses for your inability to accept the fact you can make money in this small group of people because they are craving and begging for native apps that work well. The demand is their but supply isn't because of same lame excuses that keep getting repeated here and on blogs.