BlackBerry Dev Alpha

“It’s working! And it’s working well!” RIM CEO Thorsten Heins told the audience at BlackBerry World 2012, showing off the BlackBerry Dev Alpha. Developers who signed up for the event will be leaving with complimentary early versions.

The BlackBerry 10 platform is a little reminiscent of the Windows Phone tile layout.

BlackBerry 10, said Heins, is the only platform able to run all applications at once. They stack on top of one another and users can slide forward and backward. “Everything flows at once; it just goes with you, lives with you. We are making you really agile and nimble.”

As a user types, word options hover over her fingers. A gentle swipe sends the word up to the document.

The version of the Dev Alpha that RIM showed off at the show was really only of use to developers—a not-very-thin exterior housing the Platform but not including all the bells and whistles. “This is not the final hardware,” said Heins. “We are still keeping some secrets to ourselves.” (Photo credit: Wayne Rash)

Another look at the Dev Alpha, which is very subject to change. (Photo credit: Wayne Rash)

FishLabs, makers of the very popular Galaxy on Fire game, found the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet so compelling and QNX software so easy to use, the CEO was able to get the game up and running on QNX in less than a day. The game has a story line that takes five to 10 hours to complete.

Currently, 60 percent of all cars on the road run QNX software. This Porsche, outfitted with PlayBooks and BlackBerry 10 is particularly compelling to Heins, who has born in Germany. “In Germany, every little boy tells his dad: ‘When I’m successful, I’m going to buy me a Porsche.'”

The crowds at the event suggested nothing about RIM’s current difficulties.