How will PlayBook apps port to BB10

Hi everyone,
I'm not the most technical person when it comes to development. I was wondering how apps from the PlayBook would mold into BB10? Will they use the same applies world or will something need to be done to the apps to get them into BB10 app world.
I know with iPhone to Ipad, you can go into your account and use your purchased apps on you Ipad just with poor resolution type of thing. But considering BB10 screen will be similar in size, will it be a smooth transition?
And this is obviously just in regards to the full touch, not the qwerty.
Thank you

Many current PB apps will run on BB10 with no problems. Most others will need only a few modifications to handle greater screen resolution or other differences introduced by API changes. My own Air app runs quite well on the BB10 Alpha device although the font sizes will have to be increased and there are some differences in the way that the magnetometer works. Of course existing apps will have to be updated if we want to make use of new APIs and UI elements. This applies especially to apps that a built using the NDK. Cascades opens a lot of doors for native developers and you will be seeing a lot of very exciting stuff when BB10 is finally released.

Thank you very much. This clarifies a lot.

I've been wondering if I'm going to have to re-buy all the apps I bought on my Playbook if I buy a BB10 phone. I don't think RIM has talked about this yet. I have more than $100 in app purchases already, and if they don't work on a BB10 phone I might as well get an iPhone.

Originally Posted by Yaceka

I've been wondering if I'm going to have to re-buy all the apps I bought on my Playbook if I buy a BB10 phone. I don't think RIM has talked about this yet. I have more than $100 in app purchases already, and if they don't work on a BB10 phone I might as well get an iPhone.

I don't think you have anything to worry about. The first thing you should know is that RIM does not control the apps created by third-party developers. It is up to the developer if a version of his/her app is offered on any given device and what price will be charged. Since RIM does not dictate pricing policies, you will need to contact individual developers to determine what their plans are going forward.

Having said that, it will be a trivial matter for a developer to ensure that an existing PlayBook app is compatible with new BB10 devices - after all, this is the reason that RIM is going to all the trouble of creating a unified OS. I suspect that virtually all developers will ensure that their apps run on any BB10 device and that you will not be charged again if you decide to install them on your new phone.

The only thing you need to ensure is that you use the same BBID on your BB10 phone as you used when you purchased the apps in the first place. After setting up your new phone, just visit the "My World" section of App World on your device and you will find all of your compatible apps listed in the "uninstalled list".

buzzstar is right. it depends on the 3rd party devs!
in difference to buzzstar, i do not think, that most apps will be ported! all the apps developed to get a free playbook (most of them) will not be ported (or there is another free device :P)

i see another problem with "fast" porting: yes, it is possible to port most applications very fast. but the user experience must be adapted to:
the screen is smaller
but has a higher resolution.
the bb10 is designed for portrait mode and not landscape (like the playbook)
due to the smaller size and portrait mode of the device, think about how the user hold the device in difference to a playbook ... what does it mean for gestures, positions of icons and so on....

i think, port an existing app to bb10 without thinking about these points is very fast. but rethink each point could take some time but generates the best experience

Originally Posted by mappau-dev

buzzstar is right. it depends on the 3rd party devs!
in difference to buzzstar, i do not think, that most apps will be ported! all the apps developed to get a free playbook (most of them) will not be ported (or there is another free device :P)

i see another problem with "fast" porting: yes, it is possible to port most applications very fast. but the user experience must be adapted to:
the screen is smaller
but has a higher resolution.
the bb10 is designed for portrait mode and not landscape (like the playbook)
due to the smaller size and portrait mode of the device, think about how the user hold the device in difference to a playbook ... what does it mean for gestures, positions of icons and so on....

i think, port an existing app to bb10 without thinking about these points is very fast. but rethink each point could take some time but generates the best experience

All true. But if you have designed your app with portability in mind (by separating business logic from presentation logic) these concerns should not be a problem. I also believe that devs who think that the can charge again for their apps because it "is a lot of effort to port" are working at cross purposes with RIM's efforts to achieve a unified OS.

Speaking of developers who were just it it for a free device and didn't bother to improve their apps, there is a reason why they are not making much money on sales (and a reason why they will not be supporting BB10). For semi-competent developers though, there will be a user backlash and a significant risk of being overtaken by their competition if they try to get away with this approach. I personally can't imagine starting fresh on BB10 devices with zero reviews and no apparent track record. Why would I want to throw away all the work I put into public relations over the last year and a half? As far as I am concerned, the effort of moving a few UI components to different locations pales by comparison. I would much rather carry my reputation forward. For this reason, I still don't think that the poster who expressed concerns about having to repurchase a lot of apps needs to worry much.

once more: you are right :)
if an application was designed for multi display resolutions and has a logic, which separates design from "code", it is quiet "easy" to port.

and i totally agree with your second point (marketing, reviews, ... ). I do not think that an existing app will be ported and relaunched as a new product for bb 10 (so if you bought it for the PlayBook, you get it for BB10 without paying again -> our plan).

good points; our games all work perfect on the Dev Alpha; no changes required.

applications that have specific UI experiences are going to have to simply take the resolution and DPI factors into control; but from a binary perspective, everything will work out of the box. the OS will either scale up or scale down depending on the changes, minor changes to the user experience when it comes to anything that has a fixed resolution.