Tuesday, May 3, 2011

RIM Demos E-Mail, Android Apps On BlackBerry PlayBook

Most of the complaints directed at Research in Motion's BlackBerry PlayBook inscription have been formed on its mediocre form of software. But after a live protest of soon-to-come apps at the company's BlackBerry World discussion on Tuesday, the naysayers might start to close up.

For the initial time given the tablet's release, RIM showed off a live demo of the 3 greatest features that have been MIA given the tablet's launch: local e-mail, monthly calendar and contacts applications. The firm moreover ran a number of Android applications on the PlayBook, that will finally be existing in BlackBerry's App World store.

Combined, the demos uncover that RIM is major about shoring up the PlayBook's shortcomings, and it's peaceful to partisan the immeasurable library of Android apps to help accelerate its own tablet's appeal.

Currently, those who wish to access their e-mail on the PlayBook have a of two options: open a browser window and navigate to a web-based e-mail client, or use the BlackBerry Bridge feature, that requires tethering the PlayBook to an existing BlackBerry smartphone to be able to perspective e-mail on the tablet. The who do not have a BlackBerry phone but still wish local e-mail access are out of luck.

RIM has taken a lot of feverishness for rising the PlayBook without local e-mail, monthly calendar and contacts applications. After reception early assessment devices, many reviewers ( inclusive Wired.com ) deliberate the inscription half-baked, fearful in its hardware nonetheless uncompleted in its software.

RIM's plan has been to residence those shortcomings gradually, every time pulling over-the-air updates to its customers. On Tuesday, for example, the PlayBook received video talk ability . Later this summer, the PlayBook will take a local Facebook app, with e-mail and monthly calendar apps to follow.

Some have criticized this let go report as reward for a too soon product release. But with the initial era iPad already violence every other inscription to marketplace by a year, RIM's let go plan seems to be a vital compromise: If it had shipped any later, and the PlayBook would have been even more irrelevant.

The firm has moreover been criticized for its tiny amount of apps existing is to PlayBook in its App World store, rounded off 3,000 at launch. But 3,000 is far more tablet-specific apps than Android Honeycomb-powered tablets similar to the Motorola Xoom and Acer's Iconia A500 Tab have existing to them. As of this week, the Android Honeycomb inscription app tally hovers someplace in the operation of 50.

In order to supersede its insufficient of PlayBook apps on launch, RIM motionless to enable Android apps to be ported over to the PlayBook Tablet OS by developers. After a developer submits his or her Android app to BlackBerry App World, RIM vets the apps and releases them to its store if deemed acceptable.

Android applications ran in an "Android Player" app, that stretched to expand the tablet's whole seven-inch screen. The apps seemed to run uniformly via the demo, with no crashing or manifest stuttering. Though it should be remarkable that the apps RIM demoed were not Android chronicle 3.0 (Honeycomb), "tablet-optimized" ones, but rsther than chronicle 2.2 (Froyo) applications. It hasn't been mentioned if the PlayBook will be able to run Honeycomb-tablet apps.

Whether an Android or BlackBerry app, all are existing by App World without differentiation. RIM calls this its "one-app experience." Since there are many more Android apps than there are is to BlackBerry at the moment, it's probably a improved pierce by the firm to keep the two unvaried in look. Imagine seeking down at a RIM product filled with nothing Android apps - it might be sufficient to make you consternation because you didn't purchase an Android device in the initial place.

RIM mentioned it skeleton to let go the 3 local applications "later this summer" in an over-the-air program update. The Android applications weren't given an expect ETA.

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