PlayBook to run Android apps?

[DivideBYZero]

For backwards compatibility with older BlackBerry apps, which are all Java, RIM will obviously be including a Java Virtual Machine to support these in QNX. However, rumour has it that they are looking at the open source Dalvik JVM, among others, which also opens up the possibility of sideloaded Android apps or, in a world gone mad, collaboration with Google's version of the Dalvik JVM and access to the Android Market. :awe:

http://www.bgr.com/2011/01/26/exclusive-blackberry-playbook-and-smartphones-to-run-android-apps/

 

[WelshBloke]

That would certainly help them out at launch by having the entire Android catalogue available.

I'd be pretty surprised if there weren't a bunch of glitches with it though.

 

[MrX8503]

That would definitely help them out. I'm not sure how stable that would be though.

There are rumors that the Playbook has similar battery life to the iPad. If thats true, thats very impressive.

 

[DivideBYZero]

I'm not interested just for app count, as there are, apparently, already over 4000 PlayBook specific apps.

 

[WelshBloke]

I'm not interested just for app count, as there are, apparently, already over 4000 PlayBook specific apps.

Well it would certainly give them a good marketing point.

It would give a bit of consumer confidence. Its competing with 2 other more established OS's.
This would negate the fear of a lack of developer support if it can run all the Android stuff.


It would make me look more positively on it.

Its got to be seen as "a good thing" as long as there aren't going to be a bunch of compatibility problems that no ones going to want to take responsibility for. Android developers aren't going to support apps on it unless they are written specifically for it and I cant see RIM trying to trouble shoot every fart app that throws up errors.

 

[gsaldivar]

This is great news, and a great selling point if they can get Android running stable on their platform.

A Webkit-based browser, and now Dalvik JVM. Is RIM finally waking up the benefits of open source software? It would be awesome to see them open-source QNX and take on Google head to head.

Oh well... one can dream, right?

 

[tatteredpotato]

They'd have to implement the entire android framework (views, activities, etc). Actually Android apps shouldn't need Dalvik to run... they just run faster on Dalvik due the the JIT compiler.