RIM BlackBerry PlayBook: The first apps

By | Network World US
Published 17:00,

We evaluate the first wave of PlayBook apps to emerge

  • Mediafly OnAir
  • iSpeech Translator
  • NFB
  • MovieNews
  • PetWeather
  • Piano
  • Slacker Radio for BlackBerry PlayBook
  • RailTimes-Caltrain
  • Localipedia for BlackBerry PlayBook
  • TuneIn Radio
  • Play
  • Play
  • Backward
  • Forward

Mediafly OnAir

The Media OnAir app (version 4.01) has one key advantage: After you register with Mediafly.com and select what you want from more than 30,000 audio and video feeds, you can access the content from any mobile device or desk-bound computer. The deep selection is neatly divided into subjects ranging from technology to cooking and drinks, and includes popular sources such as the Wall Street Journal's WSJ.com and ESPN Radio. The neat, thumbnail-laden interface is easy to navigate. Though video content usually loaded smoothly, it was at the mercy of the quality of the Internet connection.

Ultimately the success or failure of the RIM BlackBerry PlayBook tablet will rest on the apps that fill its sharp, snappy 7-inch touchscreen. According to RIM, 3000 BlackBerry Tablet OS apps are in the pipeline; but even a day before the PlayBook went on sale, most of the major names in mobile apps were missing from the BlackBerry AppWorld store.

RIM says that this state of affairs will change once the PlayBook hits stores. In the meantime, here’s a potpourri of apps that do exist - and that caught our attention. The available apps vary in quality from a lame, noninteractive guide to shoe sizes to a well-researched, map-assisted Australian public toilet directory to sophisticated apps from Slacker (included in this slideshow), Kobo, and Microsoft’s Bing.

Send to a friend

Email this article to a friend or colleague:

PLEASE NOTE: Your name is used only to let the recipient know who sent the story, and in case of transmission error. Both your name and the recipient's name and address will not be used for any other purpose.

ComputerWorldUK Resources

ComputerworldUK
Share
x
Open
* *