Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) has high hopes for PlayBook OS 2.0, which was demonstrated at its booth at the Consumer Electronics Show this week. Slated to be available sometime in February, there is more than one reason for this optimism, such as the inclusion of an upgraded--and native--email client.

Another big reason that this version promises to improve upon the PlayBook's maiden launch is its ability to run Android apps. According to Alec Saunders, RIM's vice president of developer relations and ecosystem development, some "number of thousands" of Android apps will be available when PlayBook OS 2.0 becomes available.

To be clear, Android apps will not run by default. They'll require a software application to repackage them to a compatible format. Also, developers must put their apps through RIM's standard app curation process in order to get listed on the BlackBerry App World.

I took home a BlackBerry PlayBook loaded with a beta of PlayBook OS 2.0 as an attendee of BlackBerry DevCon Asia last month. I was able to load a repackaged version of the Kindle reader app for Android, which worked surprisingly well.

For more:
- check out this article at Computerworld

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