

Ask HN: Is anyone doing Blackberry app development? - rms

I know coding in Java is unappealing, but it seems like there is a lot of opportunity for the Blackberry appstore launch in March 2009. Do you think Blackberry users will be less likely to buy apps than iPhone users?
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martythemaniak
Yes, kind of. I have a neat little app on the Android Market
(<http://phonalyzr.com>), which I am going to port to the Blackberry in time
for their store launch. The reason I'm targeting Android and BB is because of
the iPhone's ridiculously restrictive SDK - on these devices the OS notifies
the user that my app will be reading their call log/contact list and the user
can choose to proceed or not, whereas on the iPhone that decision has already
been made for the user by someone in Apple's HQ.

At my day job I use python and js to do web development while this is my
spare-time project and to be honest, Java isn't so bad. Yes, it's tiresomely
verbose, but Eclipse and the Android plug-in are an awesome IDE and since
you're dealing only with the mobile-specific SDK, you don't have to contend
with issues that make Java bad in other contexts (heavy frameworks, endless
XML config files, etc). Perhaps someone with experience in both can clue me
in, but I doubt Objective C is less verbose or more dynamic than Java.

But I think you're right in that people might be missing an opportunity by
focusing so heavily on the iPhone. The BB SDK is more powerful than the
iPhone's, there's more than twice as many BB users than iPhone users and I
don't think anyone will argue that they're any less affluent than iPhone
users.

Mostly, I think, it'll depend on how RIM promotes the app store and the kind
of deals it manages to get the carriers to accept. I worked for RIM a few
years ago and saw how incredibly difficult and demanding it is to work with
carriers, as they are the actual manufacturer's "customers" and their
interests are frequently at odds with those of users.

~~~
MrRage
> I doubt Objective C is less verbose or more dynamic than Java

Oh, Objective C is certainly more dynamic. It uses a message passing
mechanism. You can do this in Objective C without a compile error (note "id"
is a generic object type)

id anObject = _Do some initialization_ ; [anObject passSomeMessage];

The closest in Java would be:

Object anObject = new SomeClass(); anObject.callSomeMethod();

Which wouldn't compile.

(Please note I haven't used Objective C nor Java in a while. Please excuse any
errors.)

------
fpotter
Yep, I've been working on a downloadable app store for BlackBerry devices for
a while called BerryStore (<http://berrystore.com>) and it's been getting
decent uptake from BlackBerry users. I started way back in August, long before
RIM had announced any of their plans.

There is a lot of opportunity for RIM here, but there are also a lot of things
they would have to get right. For example, I've heard rumors they might only
support newer phones or OS versions. That would be a mistake - Curves running
really old versions of the OS are still being sold today. Another rumor I
heard was that they might only work with developers who are part of their
Alliance Program which costs $2,000 to join. Then, there is the hurdle of
getting the app store onto devices in a way that makes carriers comfortable.
Presumably some sort of revenue share has to be negotiated with each carrier.
RIM certainly doesn't have an easy road ahead of them.

Also, if you read RIM's October press release announcing the Storefront, they
claimed they would be letting developers submit apps starting this past
December. December came and went and I didn't see anything. That means they're
either behind in schedule, or worse, they're only working with Alliance
partners and that's why we didn't see anything.

------
paulgb
I haven't myself, but I've worked at a company that did. Here's what I picked
up: BlackBerry users tend to use their devices a lot and are not afraid to
download things.

It's not going to be nearly the same market as the iPhone reaches, so iFart
and the like would, IMHO, fail miserably on the BlackBerry. I bet there is
money to be made in apps targeting certain verticals where BlackBerries are
common. Law, real estate, and investing come to mind.

~~~
rms
My understanding of the ifart/novelty apps is that people with disposable
income bought them to entertain their kids randomly for 3 minutes. Why will
that be so much less common on the Blackberry? Do people not want to pervert
their business device with things so frivolous?

~~~
fatdog789
On a business device, usually paid for by the company?

Many companies don't allow their Crackberries to be used for personal crap;
iFart and other novelty apps definitely fall into that category.

------
DenisM
On a related note, how complex is BB development compared to Andorid, iPhone
or WinMob?

I think I might want to port my app, but I'm afraid to get stuck in it without
the end in sight.

------
shimi
I have to disagree about the Java part.

After developing for WM, j2ME, BB and Android I found iPhone is a mystery.
Apple knew what they were doing making people downloading those applications.
You've have got fart apps for all platforms and no one could turn them to a
profit until iFart.

BB is a different market, I'm sure that if you'll investigate you'll be able
to come up with an idea.

BB can be a potential good market but

------
gsmaverick
Since lots of BB users are enterprise they may be less willing or able to
install apps. But if you build a great app there's always customers for your
app.

------
kapitti
We do, but for enterprise apps only - there may be decent sales for consumers
with the Storm, but the BB will almost always be an Enterprise Play.

------
farmerwu
Looks like RIM has begun accepting applications to their store. Has anyone
gone through the application process yet? I'm glad they got it out, and its
not the much past their original December launch date.

