A leaked version of RIM's Android app player running on a BlackBerry PlayBook. Photo: N4BB.com

RIM can’t seem to get its act together. First, it rushed the release of the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, a product that many agreed felt unfinished. And this morning, the company accidentally released an incomplete version of its app player for running Android software.

PlayBook makers Research in Motion posted the Android application player to its website, allowing eager BlackBerry fans to download the app before its official release. The player was quickly taken down shortly thereafter, but not before a number of users downloaded the application. The N4BB website first reported the app player’s appearance.

A RIM spokesperson confirmed to Wired.com that the app player was posted in error, and that the version available isn’t what we’re going to see after its official release.

“We recommend that users refrain from downloading and installing this software since it is outdated and non-functional in many respects,” a RIM spokesperson said in a statement provided to Wired.com.

The BlackBerry PlayBook needs a Hail Mary to survive in today’s crowded tablet market. Dozens of newAndroid-poweredtablets have debuted this year, all of which are competing for customers who want an alternative to Apple’s tablet device. HP’s recent release of the TouchPad touts webOS, an underdog operating system still espoused by Palm evangelists. The iPad 2, of course, continues to dominate the industry, representing approximately 83 percent of all tablets shipped in 2010, according to research firm IDC.

The PlayBook also faces challenges on the application front. The PlayBook launched with over 3,000 apps, far more than Google’s current number of tablet-optimized apps (around 250), as well as HP’s (about 300). Apple’s tablet app selection remains far ahead of the pack at around 100,000.

So instead of putting all its eggs in bolstering BlackBerry App World — RIM’s app download store — RIM expects to boost its user base by attracting Android lovers with the Android app player.

Today’s accidental leak is the first we’ve seen of the Android app player since the company demoed a version at its BlackBerry App World in May. RIM recommended against downloading the Android app player.

Despite RIM’s pleas, many have already uploaded copies of the leaked application to file sharing web sites, allowing those who missed out to test the early version.

“I think they realize that their app store hasn’t really taken off,” said BlackBerry app developer Gurbir Sidhu in an interview with Wired.com. ”More developers are interested in Android apps, and there is more effort being put into Android development.”

Some say, however, that the Android application player may not be enough to save the PlayBook.

“Even with the Android app player, it does not support every app out there, and most apps still need to be ported over to work well,” Gartner mobile analyst Phillip Redman told Wired.com. “So though the intent is to open up [the PlayBook] to a wider variety of mobile apps, it will still be limited.”

Redman speaks to a larger issue in application development: Native versus ported apps. When an application is written in a native language — or a coding language created specifically for a particular operating system — the programs generally run smoother, faster and with less system hiccups. When an application is ported over to a non-native environment, reliability and performance isn’t always up to par.

“In the end, native apps work best on each device and I think this will have limited impact overall,” said Redman. “There are very nice Android tablets out there if a user wants to go that direction and get the best performance and choice.

Of course, the PlayBook has other issues to deal with in its uphill battle. The device still doesn’t have native e-mail, calendar and contacts applications — three items we’ve been promised would be coming since the PlayBook’s debut three months ago.

Whether or not the Android player attracts more users for RIM is a lingering question for after the program’s official release.

Hope, however, remains. Some who have downloaded the program early seem to enjoy the Android app player experience on the PlayBook, even using the early version.

“It’s a little early to make a judgement based on an early beta but it’s not bad,” wrote one early user on a BlackBerry enthusiast forum. “I’m actually surprised that any apps worked, pleasantly surprised too as it bodes well for sideloading apps in the future,” the user wrote.

The official beta release of the Android App Player for the BlackBerry PlayBook is scheduled for release later this summer, according to RIM.

Check out the video below for a demo of the Android app player running on the PlayBook.