RIM removing ability to sideload apps on Playbook
Once again RIM is cracking down on the Blackberry Playbook. This time it is removing the ability to sideload apps. Currently if you own a Playbook you have the ability to load apps not available in the Blackberry App World. This includes the over 500,000 apps that are available through Google Play. Because Blackberry doesn’t have as many users as Android or iOS, there are holes in the market for certain types of apps. The ability to sideload the allows users to fill those holes.
It also allows developers the ability to test out their apps on their own Plapbooks before releasing them to the Blackberry App World. Since this functionality will also be removed, Blackberry is supposedly finding a different way to be able to test apps. The main reason behind this change is to curb app piracy. With the ability to sideload apps the only thing you would need is the package file that you could find about anywhere on the internet.
Like most software however, the app would need to be cracked, or left wide open by the developer to be able to be used. I have tried installing some premium apps that I found the package file for online, and most of the time the developer included some kind of a check to make sure it had been purchased before you could use it. It’s nice that RIM is trying to make sure their developers get the money they are due from the apps they create, but I don’t see this being received well by the few people that actually own and use their Playbooks.
[Into Mobile]
