First off all, it will likely be several months after launch before BlackBerry PlayBook users see any android apps for their tablets. RIM says the Android "app player," which will be available via BlackBerry App World and required to run android apps on the PlayBook, is "expected" this summer. But RIM also said the PlayBook itself would be released in Q1 2011, and that hasn't happened, so it could be August or September before even the app player becomes available.
Also, the entire lineup of applications available in Android app stores like Google's Android Market or Amazon's new Appstore for Android will not likely be available for use on the PlayBook. In fact, RIM only announced PlayBook support for Android 2.3, or Android "Gingerbread," apps, so it's unclear just how many android apps currently fall under that description.
In other words, PlayBook users won't simply be able to run any Android application. That's because Android developers will need to "repackage" their apps for distribution through BlackBerry App World, then work with RIM to get them approved. RIM has not yet specified whether or not PlayBook users will be able to get android apps from sources other than App World, but it says the repackaging process for developers should be relatively painless. (The BlackBerry-maker is not exactly known for its smooth and easy app-submission processes, to say the least, so I can't help but wonder just how Android developers will take to working with RIM.)
Regardless, the ultimate success or failure of Android on the PlayBook, in my opinion, will hinge on just how well RIM's PlayBook app player--essentially an Android emulator--works. Will android apps run on the PlayBook the way they're supposed to without negatively affecting overall PlayBook performance? If not, it probably won't take developers long to decide not to waste any more time and jump ship.
So, to sum that all up, RIM's Android-apps-on-the-PlayBook announcement sure sounds interesting from a user perspective. And the news will undoubtedly draw lots of attention. But we'll have to wait and see just how well it actually plays out; whether or not the PlayBook's ability to run Android will convince potential buyers to pull the trigger and go with RIM's tablet, or make the tablet more valuable to existing owners, will depend entirely on the Android-on-PlayBook experience.
I will say this, however: I'd be a heck of a lot more likely to purchase a BlackBerry PlayBook after seeing it efficiently run android apps alongside BlackBerry apps than if the tablet could only run BlackBerry software. And I don't think I'm alone in that.
What android apps on the BlackBerry PlayBook Mean to Software Developers
Once again, I can only make predictions based on the information RIM has made available to this point, but in general, the PlayBook support for android apps should be a good thing for Android and BlackBerry developers--assuming the new app-player emulators adequately function.
The PlayBook Android support should be good for Android developers, because they'll have a new audience of potential buyers who will be anxious to get their hands on the latest and greatest software available for their tablets.
And RIM says: "Developers currently building for the BlackBerry or Android platforms will be able to quickly and easily port their apps to run on the BlackBerry Tablet OS thanks to a high degree of API compatibility."If this proves to be true, Android developers shouldn't have to do much extra work to get their apps ready for the PlayBook, so the potential return on investment could be significant. It is worth noting, however, that it's still unclear how "complex" android applications that draw on various Android resources like GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc, will function on the BlackBerry Tablet OS. For example, will all advanced app-functionality be compatible with the PlayBook? If not, the value of some applications would be greatly diminished, and it might not be worth a developer's time to port over such apps.
For BlackBerry Tablet OS developers, the PlayBook's ability to run Android software should similarly be a positive development, drawing more attention to the PlayBook and hopefully translating into more PlayBook users/potential customers.
One possible negative I see is that over time, developers may be drawn to the Android platform and away from RIM's BlackBerry or Tablet OS. They could simply develop apps for Android, via user-friendly tools, and then port them over instead of creating full-featured apps, or "Super Apps" in RIM parlance, meant specifically to take advantage of the PlayBook's hardware/software integration./laptop-battery/toshiba-pa3356u-1bas.htm
I think the crucial elements to developer success here are, again, an effective--or even impressive--Android emulator, and an application port- and submission process that is as "quick and easy" as RIM promises./laptop-battery/toshiba-pa3399u-1bas.htm
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