cyrus deadlock: Android Developers - Have you considered porting your application to the BlackBerry PlayBook?

Monday, March 12, 2012

Android Developers - Have you considered porting your application to the BlackBerry PlayBook?

Before you get all bent out of shape about us talking about the BlackBerry PlayBook, keep in mind that after the recent update to BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0, the PlayBook can now run Android applications. The update brought along an Android App Player which allowed Android apps to be repackaged, and submitted to App World for public downloading. For a while RIM even ran a promotion offering free BlackBerry PlayBook's to Android developers who ported their applications and submitted them to App World.

Owning a BlackBerry PlayBook I know that a few developers did take the opportunity to put their applications in App World, but not nearly as many as one would have expected. The process was really easy from RIM, they made it so your APK file could be easily repackaged into a BAR file which is read on the PlayBook. They weren't asking developers to rewrite their applications, or make huge changes, and still developers didn't jump all over it.

Personally I was left wondering why more big name applications didn't make their way over to the BlackBerry PlayBook. With a rather simple process, a free PlayBook, and an added audience of over one million users, it becomes even more alarming. So, if you are an Android developer we would love to know about your decision. Whether you have already ported, are still considering, or decided against it completely be sure to let us know how you reached your decision.

Source: CrackBerry