BlackBerry® PlayBook™

[Murdoch64]

I bought 3 playbooks for my kids for xmas and have now discovered that they can't get any of the apps they want. i was wrongly told that I could download any andriod apps on 2 the playbooks but seemingly not! 

They only want one game - derby days. Does anybody know how on earth I can get it on their playbooks? If not that'll be 3 playbooks unwanted!

are blackberry ever planning on getting the android apps? 

[tanzim]

Hi Murdoch64,

PlayBook supports andriod apps. But BlackBerry Runtime for Android apps allows Android applications that developers have repackaged, signed, and submitted to the BlackBerry App World storefront, to run on the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0. Therefore, it means you won't be able to run all andriod apps on PlayBook. The driod apps need to be reprogrammed or ported so that they can be run on PlayBook. This is great feature that no other tablet platform allows at the moment. QNX (PlayBook) and Andriod runs on completely different application platform and they need to be repackaged for ensuring compatibility.

[John_Clark]

Here is a good place to get Android apps. I have quite a few of them installed. It takes a little bit of setup on your computer to install them but once you've done it a time or two it's easy. I don't see Derby Days on their list but let me see what I can find.

http://apps.goodereader.com/playbook/playbook-android-apps/

[John_Clark]

I just tried to convert that Android app to Playbook and it errors out on me. Sorry, no Derby Days for Playbook. :-(

[Murdoch64]

Thanx tanzim but how can that help me get the app I need?

[Murdoch64]

Thanks john. I've been on that web site before & downloaded what I needed & thanx for trying 2 convert the file. You'd think blackberry would make it easy just 2 look at the android apps & download them - why make it soooo complicated??????

[John_Clark]

Tanzim explained it. The Playbook doesn't really run Android Apps. It has an app that the ported Android apps run in. An application still must be converted to the proper format. In my experience some Android apps convert with no problem and some won't convert, meaning that the developer must re-code them and repackage them for Playbook.

It does give some extra versatility that most platforms don't have. On a positive note, with the release of BB10 there will be over 70,000 apps in Appworld so it's possible that many of the apps out there will be ported over and found in Appworld soon.

[Murdoch64]

Thanx john any idea when this is likely 2 happen. Really wish I'd just bought an android tablet

[John_Clark]

Release of BB10 is the 30th. I'm not sure what apps will be available for both devices After that date though.

[Murdoch64]

Thanx again. Wots the bet there's no apps that the kids want. What is so special about the playbook that it has 2 make things difficult?