RIM posts BlackBerry Storm emulator, dev tools

It's just in beta at this point, but devs and techies far and wide are now invited to take a stab at coding up some magic for RIM's new touch-based user interface elements, orientation control, accelerometers, and virtual keyboards that are getting proudly shown off for the first time in the Storm. There's stuff in here for regular folk without a single programming bone in their bodies, too -- namely, a full-fledged emulator that appears to have all the features and functionality you'd expect the real thing to have. It's a gas to play with -- even more fun than that semi-functional G1 demo T-Mobile has up and running -- and it's a good way to test-drive the goods without laying out the cash first. Not to say you could even if you wanted to, since the phone's not dropping for another month at a yet-to-be-determined sticker price.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Update: Be sure to select Simulators v4.7.0 to get the goods -- otherwise you're going to go through some ridiculously long download, only to discover that there's no Storm to be found. Wouldn't that just suck?

[Cybergypsy @ Oct 8th 2008 2:58PM]

Very nice :)

[tom @ Oct 8th 2008 3:19PM]

+1. That's the way a good operating system should be

Take some notes Ballmer

[Jash Sayani @ Oct 9th 2008 3:14AM]

What programming language is used to develop applications for the Storm...? And do they have policies where you cant make apps running in the background...?

Thanks.

[ilh @ Oct 9th 2008 12:57PM]

3 options; Web based, MDS, Java.

Only done Java BB apps but you can have background applications and have them start when the BB starts if you want.

[lowdef @ Oct 8th 2008 3:04PM]

what kind of touch screen is this? like stabby or glidey?

[Meltz @ Oct 8th 2008 3:09PM]

it's gotta be glidey - i doubt you'd be able to use a stylus on it.

[Eddie @ Oct 8th 2008 3:14PM]

heheh stabby or glidey.
But yeah. Read their hands on.
http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/08/blackberry-storm-9500-hands-on/

[lowdef @ Oct 8th 2008 3:42PM]

thanks for the link. looks really nice, might have to ditch the ol' iphone if they can't top this next go around.

[Michael Scrip @ Oct 8th 2008 3:07PM]

The home row buttons on this one look wrong.

Which is it? Real buttons, or touch sensitive buttons?

[Eddie @ Oct 8th 2008 3:16PM]

Judging from their hands on pics it looks like real buttons so this is pretty misleading.

[Fuelcell @ Oct 8th 2008 3:09PM]

JAVA? The RIM site references a Blackberry JDE. Did I read that right? Hard to believe you've got OS X on an iPhone and they are developing in JAVA.

[Dead_Rebel @ Oct 8th 2008 3:25PM]

Yep, JAVA. Got a problem with it? =)

[tom @ Oct 8th 2008 3:34PM]

BB's OS is indeed Java based, but not standard java. They call them modified Java.

[Stan @ Oct 8th 2008 4:38PM]

On the other hand, it's easy to believe that you don't know what you're talking about.

[ilh @ Oct 9th 2008 12:51PM]

Hard to believe that the BB Java platform can have (custom) background processes running but the iPhone with its majeek OSX can't (legitimately).

I've been in both worlds for development and i'd rather develop for the BB, much more freedom.

[gareth @ Oct 8th 2008 4:44PM]

Not to change the subject, but its not really OSX on the Iphone.

http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/01/13/1746234

As for the emulator, it would be great to be able to try out the browser but I cant get it to work.

[SHoe @ Oct 8th 2008 4:50PM]

To get the browser to work, you need to install the MDS simulator. That's available as part of the JDE download and I think it can also be downloaded as a standalone app.

[SHoe @ Oct 8th 2008 4:46PM]

Blackberry development is all 'Java 2 Mobile Edition' and they have been that way for years now. It is RIM's own flavor of J2ME (their own APIs), but it also has full MIDP 2.0 compatibility so that it can run apps written for 'generic' Java phones.

[SHoe @ Oct 8th 2008 4:47PM]

That was supposed to be a reply to Fuelcell above. Dang.

[Dakota @ Oct 8th 2008 5:02PM]

Gaaaaah! I keep mixing up "clicking" from "touching" the screen.

This thing seems like it's a royal pain in the ass.

[Doink @ Oct 8th 2008 5:13PM]

Im trying to see the emulator on my mac.

anyone else try it...i cant get it to work :-\

[Nik @ Oct 8th 2008 6:47PM]

Alright, I'm using Vista and I just downloaded it. I got the phone to come up but it says that I need to reload the software. I deleted the whole file and am downloading it again, any tips or directions?

[equivocallyambiguous @ Oct 8th 2008 6:50PM]

why does the G1 pop up when I click the link, when I'm staring at the Storm?? BGR, you're slippin on your pimpin playa.

[Robert J Loomis III @ Oct 8th 2008 8:07PM]

How will user created software be shared? Is there going to be an itunes sort of program to download applications?

[rokadok @ Oct 8th 2008 10:26PM]

Ha thats definitely a Bold thats been photo shopped to have a Storm screen.

[Christian stolfe @ Oct 9th 2008 1:27PM]

where do you download the emulator?

[Senthil @ Nov 11th 2008 4:14AM]

I cant make the browser in storm,s simulator to work in my pc. Can any one help me. i have Installed MDS simulator too....