BlackBerry PlayBook Android App Player Leaked

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RIM has promised Android application capability with its PlayBook. A recently-leaked application player shows how Android apps can run within an emulated environment from within the PlayBook.

One of the reasons behind the quick rise of Android is its thriving application ecosystem, which was also the case for the Apple iPhone and iPad. When BlackBerry announced the PlayBook, one of the concerns was that RIM might not be able to build a good-enough app ecosystem for the tablet. RIM claims they’re focusing on quality instead of quantity. But with an Android emulator, PlayBook users can now run Android apps.

The Android app player was found among files in RIM’s file server, and upon close scrutiny, it’s a fairly capable emulator running a full Android installation, although performance is sometimes slow with some applications. Also, the lack of hardware buttons on the PlayBook that correspond to Android’s buttons might be an issue, but RIM addresses this by using swipe gestures to emulate Android’s Back and Menu buttons.

RIM has removed the file from its server, and has advised users to wait until they officially release it within the summer. You might still be able to find the emulator through some mirrors (check out the source link).

Do you think access to the hundreds of thousands of Androd apps would help boost the PlayBook’s popularity? Or is it enough that the PlayBook is considered to be among the more secure tablet computers around?