Is It Time to Develop Application for BlackBerry PlayBook?

BlackBerry PlayBook, recent Tablet from Research in Motion (RIM), starts to show more of its development. Since released for US and Canada market last April, RIM has given updates related to OS and its application.

Although we can’t compare it directly with iPad which now dominating tablet market, generally I see that when compared to Android’s Honeycomb which released earlier this year but still shows no significant improvement in market, PlayBook feels more aspired with its innovations.

There are at least 4 BlackBerry PlayBook applications we’ve featured on DailySocial. They are Kompas Editor’s Choice from Kompas, Vroom by Elasitas and Agate, Animal Choirs by Tempa Labs, and the one still waiting for official release, Koprol for PlayBook. The question is now, will you – as mobile developer- be thought as missing the party if you haven’t develop any product for BlackBerry Playbook?

The way I see it there are several good reasons why developer should create application or games for BlackBerry PlayBook:

1. It’s BlackBerry. Like it or not, Blackberry is still Indonesian customers’ favorite. Hence, PlayBook will be too. Furthermore, PlayBook is improving, from only using BlackBerry Bridge to access BBM and email, now they’ve developed another application so that we won’t need BlackBerry Bridge although it is still in beta version. PlayBook which only provides WiFi connection can also use BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) tethering connection, so customer no longer need to apply additional connection.
2. Supports various development bases. Adobe AIR, Adobe Flash, WebWorks, HTML5, native BlackBerry Tablet app, Java-based BlackBerry app, Android-based app; there are so many bases supported by PlayBook. Kompas Editor’s Choice is Adobe AIR based, and Animal Choirs from Tempa Labs is using Adobe Flash. You don’t have to worry that you can only use one development base.
3. App World is available for paid application. This is important, so that developer don’t have to work “pro bono”. In Indonesia we have Ovi Store, iPhone App Store and BlackBerry App World that allow developer to register paid application. There is in-app advertising method, but you need to be as popular as Angry Birds to have good advertising result.

However, before you rush in to saying that Blackberry PlayBook will be the next big thing on the market (especially in Indonesia), you need to pay attention to some things. If you are not careful, you will be developing something wasted and useless. The fact that BlackBerry PlayBook is yet to be officially released here and generally available applications are still not completed yet should become main issue. The selling (outside Indonesia) although higher than predicted still hasn’t come close to iPad.

BBM, email and Facebook application natively demonstrated in BlackBerry World 2011. Application player to run Android application is yet to be officially released. Also Angry Birds will be available in PlayBook but we are still waiting for launching date confirmation.

Such facts make consumers tend to wait and see, waiting until PlayBook’s applications are completely ready. Now this waiting process can take 2-3 more months, which maybe at the same time PlayBook will be released in Indonesia. By then, it will be a good moment to reevaluate whether it is time to aim at PlayBook market as potential platform.

Until such milestones are completed, if you are serious to develop apps and games in tablet market, iOS (iPad) is still the best option. You can use PlayBook during that time to test the water, including testing hardware and OS PlayBook’s ability. What do you think?

[image source: flickr/yum9me]

Translated by Nita Sellya.