More Sources Say BlackBerry PlayBook to Get Android Apps, but not with Dalvik
It looks like those rumors about the BlackBerry PlayBook coming ready to run Android apps are getting some weight behind them, only now whispers are leaning towards the functionality being officially implemented by RIM rather than as a side-effect of the tablet utilizing the Dalvik Java Virtual Machine. This new information actually goes against that idea, stating the PlayBook won’t even employ Dalvik due to the current legal battle between Oracle and Google. Rather, RIM has been working in-house on a way to bring the ability to run Android apps on the PlayBook.
While the PlayBook will be available this quarter, the ability to play nice with Android won’t come until the second half of the year. We have to wonder if Google is privy to these plans or if RIM is using Android’s openness as leeway to snatch up Android applications without fear of reprieve from the owner of the mobile platform.
It raises an interesting question: if the same apps are available on both ecosystems, does it suddenly make the PlayBook an appealing option for even the most die-hard Android fans? Or are the apps just a small portion of what makes Android great. After seeing Honeycomb, I’m going with the latter option.
[via Bloomsberg]