[slipsam]

Blackberrys offer to give free playbooks to anyone submitting an app just attracted a bunch of amateur programmers to submit sub standard rubbish to get a free tablet. Serious programmers are looking for a good revenue stream and probable already have tablet.
The best solution would be for blackberry to employ some good programmers to write some. This would be good investment.

[BBplaybookJS]

My main point is that the ratio to useful apps versus useless apps to most people is evident. Skype, Netflix, Hulu, Espn, MLB, yahoo or live messenger a real version of Winamp, etc

I've sideloaded the apps that I like, but $5 for Angry Birds!? Come on now...

I truly believe that this is the biggest issue facing the PlayBook...

But you do realize your statement is totally subjective, for instance None of the apps on your list are at all important to me.

The point is many of us would like to see a smaller more selective appworld with quality native apps not just numbers.

[Hi Tek]

The way I feel about it. I love my PB overall, but I check App World like once a month ... still nothing. And i'm sure it's not THAT! hard and I could figure out how to port but, not EVERYONE has the time to do that, nor should you have to. If the public can make it work, why can't RIM just get it right the first time?.. I use my PB, I have asphalt 6, starfront, modern combat 2, NFS undercover as far as games go. My only apps are: FB, Batt watch, gee reader and air browser.. I do like Gee reader when i'm away from my Main feed reader on my Mac at home.

[cmoibenlepro]

I agree that Skype would be a killer app, and also it would be great to add Netflix.

[DMitch]

So if I understand you, you're saying:

1. The Apple App store and Android Market are all full of garbage apps, but before PB OS 2.0, App World was relatively free of them due to the disinterest of amateur/3rd-rate developers in learning the native PB SDKs.
2. With the ability to easily port Android apps to the PB, App World is now attracting those sub-excellent developers, and is starting to fill up with fart apps and the other useless garbage that already crowd the other platforms' marketplaces.
3. While this preponderance of crap has not hurt the unfettered success of Apple or the popularity of Android, it somehow has a crippling effect on the PB. Therefore, this ability to easily port Android apps is bad for the PB.

Yeah, your conclusion seems a little far-fetched. It may be true that the overall ratio of great apps to crap apps is lower in App World than in the other two stores, but the problem is not the glut of garbage apps; it's the dearth of great ones -- and if you removed every crap app from App World today, it wouldn't make the missing good ones magically appear, so you still wouldn't be satisfied.

Here's an alternative 3rd point which makes a bit more sense to me: The ease of porting an existing Android app to the PB creates a strong disincentive against developers deciding to code a native PB app. Since ported Android apps suffer in performance and UI compared to native apps, this is bad for the PB.

Now that's a point what could easily be argued both ways, since the question is whether the quality gap between ported Android apps and native PB apps is great enough to create a market force that can offset the ease of porting and the choice between a cheaper/free Android version of a good app versus a pricier-but-theoretically-better native equivalent?

Discuss.

You speak a lot but don't say much!!

I believe many will agree w/OP. What are you doing w/PB...surfing & using as a bigger screen for bb phone only?!

Those other platforms you mentioned...YES, they have many "fart" apps BUT they also have many quality apps to offset the junk which PB lacks.

[dandbj13]

OP is not the first to ask this question.

Thousands of new apps???? Where??? - BlackBerry Support Community Forums

RIM plainly said that they had thousands of apps on the way for 2.0. That was plainly untrue. Business as usual.

[Foreverup]

You speak a lot but don't say much!!

I believe many will agree w/OP. What are you doing w/PB...surfing & using as a bigger screen for bb phone only?!

Those other platforms you mentioned...YES, they have many "fart" apps BUT they also have many quality apps to offset the junk which PB lacks.

Well I use my playbook to watch movies, play games, RDP into my company server, use HDMI to show clients specs and drawing when i visit their facilities, maintain reports.

So yeah I use it for alot. Apps are always subjective. I know any other tablet can do those things but not many are as easy to carry around as the playbook.

[theegoldenone]

I agree that Skype would be a killer app, and also it would be great to add Netflix.

And another "good" app opinion. I could care less for Skype or Netflix. Once again, "good" apps are in the eye of the beholder...........

[cletis]

This is one of my many complaints about the Blackberry Playbook. I fixed my issues by purchasing the new iPad. I could NOT be happier with it. I already own the iPhone 4 and I have zero complaints with either of my devises.

I truly wanted to like the Playbook but the iPad is far more superior compared to it.

If I owned an iPhone, I can't imagine being happier with a PB than with an iPad; given that you obviously aren't put off by the price difference, I would say that you made the right choice for you.

[cletis]

You speak a lot but don't say much!!

I believe many will agree w/OP. What are you doing w/PB...surfing & using as a bigger screen for bb phone only?!

Those other platforms you mentioned...YES, they have many "fart" apps BUT they also have many quality apps to offset the junk which PB lacks.

After reading your response to my post, I can only conclude that you completely misunderstood what I wrote.

[smartie88]

The first and easiest thing they should. Fix is search. Function. Like you can find simplebrowser but not " simple browser" so stupid. Even high school student can do better than this

[cletis]

The first and easiest thing they should. Fix is search. Function. Like you can find simplebrowser but not " simple browser" so stupid. Even high school student can do better than this

Exactly. That one blew my mind.

[Hgouck]

I don't need a lot of "apps" to enjoy my playbook or find useful ways to use it. There are over 700 apps just under games arcade. Maybe part of the challenge is that playbook owners aren't downloading and paying for the apps that are available.
I 100% agree that the search function needs improvement. But to say there are no apps or there are no good apps is a stretch. If you are into apps and want more, support the developers that have already invested their efforts into what is already available. If there is an app that you want try contacting a developer who has made a similarly app for another operating system and request them to make one for you the playbook.
Instead of complaining be proactive about it. If you you find one you like promote it on crackberry. The apps I have downloaded I had read about them here first and then downloaded it. File and Folders, PDF Ultimate, Batter Guru, GroovyNotes, QR Scaner, Air browser, just to name a few.

[pauldriver]

The other platforms have apps, because their substandard non desktop quality browsers do not provide the True Internet(r)(c)(tm)

Anything you need an app for, my substandard programming derrier can manage with web tools.

Apps are for the inferior platforms.

Heck, you can run Unreal in a browser, what more proof is needed?

[pauldriver]

Other then games, the only apps I have or felt the need for, are items that the OS should have included.

Functioning File Manager
Functioning RDP client that can handle gateways
Functioning VPN client with a wizard that can talk to windows workstations.
Functioning Secure Shell client
Functioning CIFS/SAMBA/FTP client(s)
Functioning PDF reader(ok I can do this on the True Internet)

We need a full OS, we have the Internet for everything else.

[ruby04]

I'm surprised at the lack of high quality stock market apps.. the Nasdaq app works well for what it is but it's way too basic.. I wish Morningstar & Yahoo Fin. would make a PB app. I have both of those on my BB phone so why not on the Playbook?

[kennyliu]

The other platforms have apps, because their substandard non desktop quality browsers do not provide the True Internet(r)(c)(tm)

Anything you need an app for, my substandard programming derrier can manage with web tools.

Apps are for the inferior platforms.

Heck, you can run Unreal in a browser, what more proof is needed?

You probably have never seen an Android device

[kennyliu]

I'm surprised at the lack of high quality stock market apps.. the Nasdaq app works well for what it is but it's way too basic.. I wish Morningstar & Yahoo Fin. would make a PB app. I have both of those on my BB phone so why not on the Playbook?

Have you tried StockPulse?

[pauldriver]

Kennyliu

I've been employed in the computer business since the summer of 1982.

I've seen more drek then your fanboy *** can put out.

I've personally evaluated 6 android 'phones' and a few tablets.

Of the bunch, the transformer, post update was the most useful.

If the Android browser is so good, why does it rank so low on every mobile device test?

Why is the playbook the only 'mobile browser' to achieve desktop parity on these same tests?

Why does Google intend to replace the Android browser with Chrome?

Go find your rock, yo mama is call'n.

[pauldriver]

Not that Rim doesn't have a lot to fix, the predictive text makes me type amusing things now and again.

The browser stability could be improved, but I usually have three to seven tabs going at once, I find that having a lot of flash busy sites open will close the browser quick.

The Internet is the App, everything is is a bandage.

[masqueofhastur]

System level orientation lock is a bigger deal for me than app count. I can actually use my PlayBook in bed while lying on my side. I suppose an Android tablet with a custom ROM could also do that, but last I checked the iPad couldn't.

Even with all the apps, and how ty flash is, flash on the playbook allows it to be a proper netbook replacement (word processing aside).

Yeah, there are some nice apps that the PlayBook doesn't have, and Netflix in bed would be pretty kick-, but it's not a deal killer to me.

[kennyliu]

Kennyliu

I've been employed in the computer business since the summer of 1982.

I've seen more drek then your fanboy can put out.

I've personally evaluated 6 android 'phones' and a few tablets.

Of the bunch, the transformer, post update was the most useful.

If the Android browser is so good, why does it rank so low prices on every mobile device test?

Why is the playbook the only 'mobile browser' to achieve desktop parity on these same tests?

Why does Google intend to replace the Android browser with Chrome?

Go find your rock, yo mama is call'n.

Easy, boy. No need to get defensive.

Android has many browsers. I don't know which tests you are referring to, but Android browsers are as fast as the one on the Playbook.

You probably know that there are benchmark tests for which even iOS browser beats the Playbook's browser.

Synthetic benchmark tests don't really mean much.

On the other hand, I can put up a video in which you can see that the Playbook browser crashes or can't finish downloading certain pages for which Dolphin HD on my phone does a perfect job (and my phones is much much less powerful hardware-wise than the Playbook).

Anyway, name at least a few reasons why the browser on the Playbook is any better than the Android browsers (besides those HTML5 tests, that are not much meaningful).

I will list you a few reasons why the browsers on Android are at least as good as the Playbook's (e.g. bookmark management, voice search, better tab management, gestures, find on page, add-ons, same desktop browser experience with Flash, fast, generally more stable, etc.)

[kennyliu]

Not that Rim doesn't have a lot to fix, the predictive text makes me type amusing things now and again.

The browser stability could be improved, but I usually have three to seven tabs going at once, I find that having a lot of flash busy sites open will close the browser quick.

The Internet is the App, everything is is a bandage.

I am wondering why people are still using the Messages app or the Bridge email? Why are there paid apps that people are buying even on the Playbook (e.g. Blaq, What'sUp, Office/note taking apps, hundreds of games). Are people so dumb to waste their money? All these can be done in the browser after all. Or can these not?

[harold1064]

For me i think first we need those multiplatform apps,
like viber , whatsapp, and mulitlanguage input

[masqueofhastur]

WhatsApp would be nice. I'm sure that'll come once BB10 is out