RIM giving Free Playbooks to Developers adapting Android Apps for Blackberry Runtime

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Canadian tech giant Research in Motion (RIM) in its bid to woo the app developers is offering them free PlayBook Tablet PCs. The plan is give them the freebie if they adapt their Android apps for RIM’s tablets, which will run these programs after upcoming operating system upgrade,, said the company on its site.

The latest version of operating system Tablet OS 2.0, which allows running applications created for the platform Google Android, was presented in October. The final version of the platform will be released later in February. The new version will have the BlackBerry Runtime for Android apps allowing Android 2.3.3 applications to run on the device.

So as to get a free PlayBook with 16 GB memory, developer needs to modify the Android-application and submit it to host on online store BlackBerry App World until February 13. All the offered programs must meet the requirements adopted in the App World.

The RIM site has all the tools necessary for adapting the Android-programs to run on PlayBook and testing of applications on computer. Android applications need to be repackaged in the “.bar” file format.

RIM Offering Free Playbooks to Android app Developers

PlayBook tablet was launched in early 2011, and during the pre-launch stage it was rumored of having several technical issues. Some of the problems were not solved even after its launch in the market. In fact, PlayBook did not succeed in the market, and in the middle of the year there was unofficial information that RIM is ready to shut-down its production and quit this market. However, the company denied such reports, later presenting the modified operating system PlayBook OS 2.0 and lowering the price of device.

Position of RIM in the mobile device market, once distinguished by its stability, has been weakening under the onslaught of Apple and Android-device manufacturers. The crisis, which the company is experiencing in recent years, has led to change in leadership – in late January, Thorsten Heins was appointed CEO of RIM. He replaced Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, who co-served as CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors.