Android Apps

Just over two weeks ago the official BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 update was finally available for everyone to download. Long before this though the information was readily available that it would include an Android App Player, and RIM even detailed the procedure for Android developers to port their applications and submit them to App World. To entice developers to submit their applications to App World RIM even opened up the free PlayBook offer again, and while many developers jumped at the opportunity, we are left wondering why more didn't?

In the past we have seen big companies drop support for BlackBerry devices, and some companies that just refuse to even begin development, but why? If you, an Android developer, already have a packaged and functional application that you have released on Android, why not take a few minutes to repackage it and let a whole other user base benefit as well? Isn't the idea behind developing an application to get it into the hands of as many people as possible, to have tons of users benefit from and enjoy your application? Why write off an entire brands user base?

Wouldn't an extended user base of over one million PlayBook owners be something that you, as a developer, would want to have access to your application? These PlayBook owners love their applications, spending money on a quality application is not something most BlackBerry users think twice about. We want your application, we will pay you for your application, we just need you to bring us the application.

The process is free, it appears to be quite painless, and it isn't like they are requesting the whole application to be rewritten, just simply repackaged into a file that can be installed on the BlackBerry PlayBook. With well over a million of these out there, even if you price the application at $1.00 and one tenth of the PlayBook owners purchase it, that is a nice chunk of change in your pocket, right?

If you are an Android developer who is on the fence, or decided not to support the PlayBook, we would love to hear from you. Hop into the forums and let us know what factors led you to your decision. 

Read more