MojoKid writes "Right now the only real 'competition' to Apple's App Store is the Android Market. Presently, anyone using an Android-based phone can download applications from the Android Market, which first started offering free applications in October '08. A drawback to Android application developers, however, is the fact that the potential Android Market user base is fairly small right now, as there is presently only one Android phone available, the T-Mobile G1. However, in the coming months we're also going to see more app stores come online for additional smartphone platforms. Nokia will officially launch an app store for its Symbian OS-based smartphones at Mobile World Congress on Monday. Microsoft is also getting in the game for smartphones that run the Windows Mobile OS, with Steve Ballmer delivering the keynote speech at Mobile World Congress as well."
The company I work for launched a public beta of our third-party app store this week, called Xpressed [xpressed.com] (the site is brand new, so feedback is welcome). Unlike the app stores mentioned in this article, it's a true "third-party" app store meaning that we're unaffiliated with any device manufacturer or carrier, and so we plan to support any and all phones out on the market that allow applications to be downloaded and installed from non-proprietary websites. Right now this pretty much means most of the Java-based phones on the market (several hundred current phones, plus the hundreds more old and obsolete devices).
It will be interesting to see which model wins out after all of the industry players have their say in this growing application space - whether manufacturer-supported app stores (presumably) integrated with the devices themselves will continue to dominate, or whether third-party app stores like Xpressed will be able to find a footing, especially among developers targeting their apps across multiple platforms.
Although I would say that your 'app store' isn't so much an 'app store' as a 'game store', I think my biggest beef with all of the 'app stores' out there is that they already existed in one form or another.
One of the biggest sites for mobile downloads, for example, is Handango. It carries utilities, tools, games, etc. for all of the open platforms (e.g. no iPhone, obviously).
So the availability has never been a problem, and opening a new 'app store' that does much the same isn't going to make things much better. ( I will say, though, that judging by the flashy banners, you guys are at least offering a little extra (e.g. the subscription plan and the app that will let users keep an eye on apps from their own mobile device )
The reason the Apple app store is as successful as it is, is because you can manage everything from that single site - browsing, buying, downloading, installing. Once installed, it's also guaranteed to *work* on your mobile device; yes, I know, that's rather easy since there only really is 1 'device', but if you keep in mind how many of the apps for, say, Windows Mobile come in at least 2 different flavors just to deal with square display vs 4:3 display devices, not to mention the resolution separation, then a user easily gets lost.
Thankfully, you were smart enough to add a filter-by-phone so that only compatible games are listed... but then you have to make absolutely sure you get (or collect) the correct information and you have to keep up-to-date on all of the different phone models out there... that's nearly a day-job for one of your staff.
Anyway - good luck with the site, it looks polished (I'm not a big fan of the animated bits, but I know your target audience is), the featureset and what-does-it-offer-extra-over-other-sites looks pretty good (for those who missed it - click on a game, there's a good chance you can play it on-line for 10 minutes so you can decide whether or not it's something you'd like to actually buy... that's brilliant), it's a bit slow to navigate at the moment but that might just be other slashdotters eating your bandwidth a bit.
The reason the Apple app store is as successful as it is, is because you can manage everything from that single site - browsing, buying, downloading, installing. Once installed, it's also guaranteed to *work* on your mobile device; yes, I know, that's rather easy since there only really is 1 'device', but if you keep in mind how many of the apps for, say, Windows Mobile come in at least 2 different flavors just to deal with square display vs 4:3 display devices, not to mention the resolution separation, the
Handango is currently severely broken, now that it requires you to specify which mobile device you are using, even if all that is relevant is what version of the OS you are using.
I should be able to specify that I want to see All applications compatible with Windows Mobile 6 PPC (as opposed to Windows Mobile Smartphone which ironically refers to phones without touchscreens (i.e. what most people would call dumb-phones)), including the applications that require the presence of a phone.
I am hesitant to download free stuff to me mobile that hasn't been checked for malware. It would be wise to require some modicum of accountability from the developers whose app you sell - if you were to spread malware you'd face on huge PR storm..
A drawback to Android application developers, however, is the fact that the potential Android Market user base is fairly small right now, as there is presently only one Android phone available, the T-Mobile G1. No, there's only one iPhone too... the drawback is that no one wants a G1, because it's a cheep plasticy lump of crap.
Eh, I have one. It's really not that bad. Anyway, you neglect to mention that the G1 has only been available for 4 months, and in two countries - contrast with the iPhone which has been around since 2007 and has had international presence for much longer.
I've had an iPhone, and currently own a T-Mobile G1. In short, Android is a solid competitor (the only competitor IMO) to the iPhone OS. The actual G1 phone however, sucks big time, as GP suggests, though he didn't get close as to why:
- The speaker slot gets clogged with lint, and now I have trouble hearing the phone - While the camera has auto-focus and more pixels than iPhone, HTC screwed up with a crappy lens that ruins all photos - There's no headphone jack. Instead, HTC provides crappy headphones using a non-standard extension to the micro-USB jack - The phone is too thick, and not nearly as sleek or well designed or packaged as the iPhone - The battery is tiny in comparison to the iPhone.
Basically, some US company (Qualcom? T-Mobile?) must have said "Here's the specs for you, HTC", and then HTC delivered on the specs, but screwed up the phone.
While there are fewer users of the G1, there are proportionally fewer developers. Many of the best application spaces are already dominated on iPhone, while they're still open on Android. I believe that future Android phones will gain in market share vs iPhone, making development for Android a wise choice.
I have a G1 and an iPod touch. If I am somewhere with wifi I find myself using the iPod to surf the net or check email. I thought I would prefer the G1 for the keyboard, but I don't think it's interface is that great, the apps I get are either buggy, not very useful or not very well done and it seems to hang a lot.
You say the G1 phone "sucks big time". And I suppose for you, that's the case. However, I feel exactly the opposite about mine.
I don't mind the thickness, as I vastly prefer the tactile response of the slide-out keyboard vs. the on-screen only iPhone.
As far as the camera, I haven't taken the first picture, I have a real camera for that.
The headphone jack dongle doesn't particularly bother me though, I do admit, I'd like to be able to charge the phone and listen to tunes at the same time.
I for one extremely dislike virtual keyboards. It's quite clumsy to type on them, unless you have a stylus, and even then I'd prefer Graffiti. I don't mean Graffiti-like method, I mean Graffiti; both Graffiti2 from Palm and Letter Recognizer from MS are bad. Transcriber may be interesting... if I only wanted to enter English text. In full. All the time.
I use acronyms, I use Croatian language, I use programming language keywords and variable names. I don't enter plain English text.
Graffiti is the best entry method to date, seconded by physical keyboards of any format.
I for one extremely dislike virtual keyboards. It's quite clumsy to type on them, unless you have a stylus, and even then I'd prefer Graffiti.
Not to mention that they are impossible to use by blind people, and hard to use by visually-impaired people.
Sure, I know Slashdot readers don't give a fuck about the needs of impaired people - but it's a minority that has otherwise great potential. I'd love to see manufacturers targeting specifically blind and visually-impaired people as part of their strategy.
Blind and visually impaired people are a small fraction of the population. There is a much larger market being neglected with many touch screen systems.
People who don't live in sunny California who have to wear gloves for part of the year. It's actually been the deciding factor around our Toronto office when coworkers have been picking their new smart phone. Most have been opting for non-touch screen phones, or the Blackberry Storm. The inability to use the iPhone without hassle while you're on the go
People who don't live in sunny California who have to wear gloves for part of the year. It's actually been the deciding factor around our Toronto office when coworkers have been picking their new smart phone. Most have been opting for non-touch screen phones, or the Blackberry Storm. The inability to use the iPhone without hassle while you're on the go has ruined its chances of entering the business market.
I live in a cold weather area and I have never owned a cellphone that I could use properly with gloves on.
I can see MS making an app store, but the rub is to get people to be using Windows Mobile based smartphones. So, the key is to get Nokia, LG, and other cellphone makers who are using JVMs on their low end phones to move to WM as the OS of choice. These are the cellphones that people obtain for free with a one or two year service contract, such as Motorola RAZRs. The trick is to get the phones out there in volume. I don't know if this can be done, though.
Once WM is very common, as opposed to now where it pretty much is in a limited selection of phones, both Microsoft, and the WM app makers would benefit. Windows Mobile is a decent platform to write code on. It does require signed code for smartphones for the most part (less with PocketPC devices), but app makers can buy their own certificates and do the distribution themselves.
Once WM is very common, as opposed to now where it pretty much is in a limited selection of phones, both Microsoft, and the WM app makers would benefit
Same question I posed to the guy who said things would change once Android gained market share: what circumstances are going to change that will cause WM to gain market share?
Also, OS X is in a very limited selection of phones. Ditto Android. I can name those phones, as can probably all Slashdotters and I suspect a decent number of people on the street who don't even have smartphones could, too. What phones run WM? Uh... I think some Palms do. Other than that, I have no idea. And my life doesn't seem
Middle-range ones are getting there, E50 for example, which can be had for 100 now, new, without contract. Or practically free with one.
As for the TRUE low-end...remember that's not a typical phone that people in the western world get with their contracts; they're getting middle-range. Low-end means Nokia 1100, 1200, 1208, etc. And I kinda like them the way they are... (exceptionally good not only if all you need is phonecalls & sms, also for second/emergency phone/backpacking)
Over the last 10 years I've had 3 different versions of Windows Mobile and every time initial "shinyness" has worn off very quickly to be replaced by annoyance at stupid, stupid user experience mistakes.
The worst of these is Windows constant delivery of messages to the user. On a desktop the "you have unused desktop icons" bubble is annoying - on a Windows mobile device, a bubble that takes the user focus away from, say
typing an SMS
typing a number
typing a note
accepting a call
is a serious barrier to usage.
The other thing that finally caused me to switch to a Crackberry (which is fantastic) was that it would crash on receiving a call occasionally - brilliant. It was the HTC Tytan if anybody cares.
After about ten years with Microsoft pushing CE/WM and using whatever resources it could to gain adoption and marketshare, if it's not very common by now there's no chance it ever will be. I could be wrong, but I don't think so in this case - there's no sign of anything amazing in the pipeline from Microsoft, and the upcoming cuts to their staffing are all but killing development in many areas.
If Microsoft couldn't do it by now, what makes you think they'll ever do it?
I don't really have a dog in this fight - my brother owns an iPod Touch and I have a Blackberry Curve - but it doesn't seem to me that there's much competition on any front for Apple's App Store. For most of the smart phones I wouldn't even consider buying software (I don't think my Curve delivers an experience that I want - I would rather use other portable devices to do what software could do).
The one thing that may be able to mount a challenge is the DSi's app store - but here in Japan where the DSi is already out, I am not really getting the impression that it is a must have feature.
Until someone is even mildly successful in the area, no one competition is really "mounting" for the app store.
There is only one iPhone, but App developers haven't stopped producing. I like the G1 better than the iPhone since it includes a slide-out keyboard and still packs in all the other features of an iPhone. Once the G1 has been around for longer and Android gets more market share I expect the Android Market to go head to head with the App Store.
Once the G1 has been around for longer and Android gets more market share I expect the Android Market to go head to head with the App Store.
The G1 being around longer seems likely to happen, but I don't know whether that necessarily translates to Android getting more market share. Not saying it won't - the increasing popularity of smartphones is a rising tide that lifts all boats - but I'm not sure what circumstances will change to make it dominant.
There is only one iPhone, but with some 12M users plus iPod Touch owners as well is a much larger customer base. We've been looking at support for mobile smart phones recently and hands down the iPhone became the priority 1 application to develop for followed by a generic mobile version of our site for everyone else.
The Android store and the App Store at the moment serve two different markets. Android phone users and IPhone users. The store that the user would choose is determined by the phone in posession. Since neither store can offer anything to users of the other kind of phone the title is misleading, or at least premature.
A drawback to Android application developers, however, is the fact that the potential Android Market user base is fairly small right now, as there is presently only one Android phone available, the T-Mobile G1.
You mean as opposed to the several dozen different phones Apple has on the market? Way to end a horribly fragmented run-on sentence with a cringe inducing logical fallacy, buddy.
The reason why the App Store has taken off so phenomenally is because they handle commercial applications. This means that any geek who can knock together a mobile application is tempted to do so by potential profits. Think about it, write an app, get it approved, and then instantly make it available to millions of iPhone users who are only a click away from paying you. That's a huge advantage for Apple - because those geeks will be writing their applications for the iPhone and not the other platforms. This is why there are so many applications for the iPhone already. Apple were really smart here. If you look at the numbers, there are more 99c applications than free applications, and taken as a whole, free applications are a minority.
Android Market is soon going to be rolling out support for paid applications in much the same way as the App Store. Once this happens, you'll see a similar surge in the number of applications available for Android. It won't be as pronounced as the App Store's curve, because Apple have a head-start now, but it will certainly put Android in the game. Although the iPhone has the client numbers, Android has the developer numbers simply because you don't need a Mac to develop Android applications.
Uh, I hate to break it to the detractors of the Android Market, but the Apple app store applies to only one phone as well. And while the iPhone IS the New Hotness status symbol and so forth, there are still a hundred and one Razr/Blackberry/HTC/Envy/Blackjack owners for a single iPhone owner. Despite its popularity, the iPhone is far from ubiquitous.
I'm interested what the policies are on all the different app stores. I know everyone here hates Apple's restrictive policies, but I do appreciate how I can download any app from their app store and not worry about it breaking my iphone, spreading viruses, changing system defaults, or worse (like stealing passwords).
What approval processes and policies do these other stores have?
The App Store is the most important thing the iPhone has going for it. I have a Blackberry through work and enjoy using it (because it's free!), but getting apps is such a pain in the ass that the only thing I've installed is the Google package.
It would be nice if desktop OSes had an easy way to find and install new programs as well. Oh wait... BSD and Linux do have such a place! How has Apple not jumped on that?
The freerunner has issues. A friend of mine has one and the most notable thing is I can barely hear him because of the interference it causes/picks up permanantly.
"Outside the US, it it just a matter of time before Symbian and other platforms join PalmOS as interesting historical tidbits."
Ever seen some sales figures? Symbian currently is the OS on around 50% of all 'phones sold (and 40% of all smart phones) around the world. Thats more than the nearest 4 competitors combined (and that includes apple).
The US market is very limited and isolated in some senses because US patent laws restrict what can be sold in the US. In the free world we have the ability to buy 'phon
Show me another machine with the specs of the MBP that is as thin and cool.
Usually when people say this they have a very specific feature - or combination of features - that are unique to Apple machines in mind. Which ones are yours ?
However, one excellent alternative to the MBP is Dell's E6400. You can even attach it to a docking station, which for my money is an infinitely more important feature than a tenth of inch more thickness (particularly for the price).
I think the previous poster was trolling. If not, then they are just engaging in wishful thinking if they believe Apple can drop prices hundreds or thousands of dollars and make it up in volume.
Show me another machine with the specs of the MBP that is as thin and cool.
This is exactly what starts yet another in the unstoppable chain of price and feature comparisons between Apple and other vendors and it is pointless in the extreme. No one here is going to do a comprehensive look or be able to find machines that are truly comparable not only in bullet point features but in hardware
It's not 1/4th the price, but it is also not $2799; How about the Voodoo Envy? Or the Dell Studio ($799 CAD)? If by "thin and cool", you mean "trendy fashion statement that runs OS X", then no, these machines are not for you.
Let's leave the ill-defined "cool" out of it, and just go with the first two-thirds of the AC's request:
"Show me another machine with the specs of the MBP that is as thin..."
The Voodoo Envy 133 is a 13.3" laptop, which makes it more of a would-be competitor for the MacBook Air, not the MacBook Pro.
The Dell Studio 17" ranges from 1.18" (30mm) to 1.69" (43mm) thick, compared to the 17" MacBook Pro's 0.98" (25mm), and starts off more than a pound heavier.
So you suggested a system that clearly doesn't have anyt
I don't know, they don't seem to have a picture of it. Does it exist?
Or the Dell Studio ($799 CAD)?
Genuine Windows Vista® operating system
Seriously, though, that thing is as huge and thick as my HP/Compaq Mobile Workstation. The MBP is slim. You have failed to read or perhaps just to understand my comment. Please try harder.
If by "thin and cool", you mean "trendy fashion statement that runs OS X", then no, these machines are not for you..
I don't much care about OSX, although I won't run Vista. But by "thin and cool" I meant physically. The MBP generates less heat than my laptop (less graphics, to be fair, but even I don't need a quadro) and i
Apple's biggest cock-up is restricting carrier choice. I own an iPod touch and the platform is excellent, I'd love to have an iPhone but the UK Operator 02 has notoriously bad reception in my area. For business use we have established contracts and call rates as well as supporting infrastructure to reduce the cost of our calls from office to mobile. We are not going to change all that simply to get a new phone. We pay around £300 for our SmartPhones, hardware cost is not really the issue.
Just to clarify, I'm not anti-Apple; I'm anti-Jobs. His wishes to keep Apple extremely exclusive are what is killing the company. I have an iPhone. I don't see how anyone could use the device if it weren't jailbroken due to the number of things you can't do with it (On the iPhoneOS vs. Android issue: who gives a damn?) due to Apple's restrictiveness. You can't even sync an iPod Touch or iPhone using Linux anymore unless you jailbreak, SSH in, and change a config file to revert to an old DB version that does
Apparently you have never used an S60 phone. It already has the basic mechanisms in place in the download section in the main menu. All Nokia has to do is market the server side to developers.
Third-party app stores are coming, too! (Score:5, Interesting)
It will be interesting to see which model wins out after all of the industry players have their say in this growing application space - whether manufacturer-supported app stores (presumably) integrated with the devices themselves will continue to dominate, or whether third-party app stores like Xpressed will be able to find a footing, especially among developers targeting their apps across multiple platforms.
Re:Third-party app stores are coming, too! (Score:4, Informative)
Although I would say that your 'app store' isn't so much an 'app store' as a 'game store', I think my biggest beef with all of the 'app stores' out there is that they already existed in one form or another.
One of the biggest sites for mobile downloads, for example, is Handango. It carries utilities, tools, games, etc. for all of the open platforms (e.g. no iPhone, obviously).
So the availability has never been a problem, and opening a new 'app store' that does much the same isn't going to make things much better.
( I will say, though, that judging by the flashy banners, you guys are at least offering a little extra (e.g. the subscription plan and the app that will let users keep an eye on apps from their own mobile device )
The reason the Apple app store is as successful as it is, is because you can manage everything from that single site - browsing, buying, downloading, installing. Once installed, it's also guaranteed to *work* on your mobile device; yes, I know, that's rather easy since there only really is 1 'device', but if you keep in mind how many of the apps for, say, Windows Mobile come in at least 2 different flavors just to deal with square display vs 4:3 display devices, not to mention the resolution separation, then a user easily gets lost.
Thankfully, you were smart enough to add a filter-by-phone so that only compatible games are listed... but then you have to make absolutely sure you get (or collect) the correct information and you have to keep up-to-date on all of the different phone models out there... that's nearly a day-job for one of your staff.
Anyway - good luck with the site, it looks polished (I'm not a big fan of the animated bits, but I know your target audience is), the featureset and what-does-it-offer-extra-over-other-sites looks pretty good (for those who missed it - click on a game, there's a good chance you can play it on-line for 10 minutes so you can decide whether or not it's something you'd like to actually buy... that's brilliant), it's a bit slow to navigate at the moment but that might just be other slashdotters eating your bandwidth a bit.
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Handango is currently severely broken, now that it requires you to specify which mobile device you are using, even if all that is relevant is what version of the OS you are using.
I should be able to specify that I want to see All applications compatible with Windows Mobile 6 PPC (as opposed to Windows Mobile Smartphone which ironically refers to phones without touchscreens (i.e. what most people would call dumb-phones)), including the applications that require the presence of a phone.
As it is right now, if
Malware? (Score:2)
I am hesitant to download free stuff to me mobile that hasn't been checked for malware. It would be wise to require some modicum of accountability from the developers whose app you sell - if you were to spread malware you'd face on huge PR storm..
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I am hesitant to download free stuff to me mobile that hasn't been checked for malware.
How about free as in freedom? [sourceforge.net]
Not because there's only 1 (Score:3, Insightful)
A drawback to Android application developers, however, is the fact that the potential Android Market user base is fairly small right now, as there is presently only one Android phone available, the T-Mobile G1.
No, there's only one iPhone too... the drawback is that no one wants a G1, because it's a cheep plasticy lump of crap.
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Eh, I have one. It's really not that bad. Anyway, you neglect to mention that the G1 has only been available for 4 months, and in two countries - contrast with the iPhone which has been around since 2007 and has had international presence for much longer.
Re:Not because there's only 1 (Score:5, Informative)
I've had an iPhone, and currently own a T-Mobile G1. In short, Android is a solid competitor (the only competitor IMO) to the iPhone OS. The actual G1 phone however, sucks big time, as GP suggests, though he didn't get close as to why:
- The speaker slot gets clogged with lint, and now I have trouble hearing the phone
- While the camera has auto-focus and more pixels than iPhone, HTC screwed up with a crappy lens that ruins all photos
- There's no headphone jack. Instead, HTC provides crappy headphones using a non-standard extension to the micro-USB jack
- The phone is too thick, and not nearly as sleek or well designed or packaged as the iPhone
- The battery is tiny in comparison to the iPhone.
Basically, some US company (Qualcom? T-Mobile?) must have said "Here's the specs for you, HTC", and then HTC delivered on the specs, but screwed up the phone.
While there are fewer users of the G1, there are proportionally fewer developers. Many of the best application spaces are already dominated on iPhone, while they're still open on Android. I believe that future Android phones will gain in market share vs iPhone, making development for Android a wise choice.
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One important thing for developers is that you can develop on any platform for the G1 with the G1 dev kit.
You have to purchase an Apple computer to develop for the iPhone.
Re:Not because there's only 1 (Score:4, Informative)
I have a G1 and an iPod touch. If I am somewhere with wifi I find myself using the iPod to surf the net or check email. I thought I would prefer the G1 for the keyboard, but I don't think it's interface is that great, the apps I get are either buggy, not very useful or not very well done and it seems to hang a lot.
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I don't mind the thickness, as I vastly prefer the tactile response of the slide-out keyboard vs. the on-screen only iPhone.
As far as the camera, I haven't taken the first picture, I have a real camera for that.
The headphone jack dongle doesn't particularly bother me though, I do admit, I'd like to be able to charge the phone and listen to tunes at the same time.
As far as the
Re:Not because there's only 1 (Score:4, Interesting)
I for one extremely dislike virtual keyboards. It's quite clumsy to type on them, unless you have a stylus, and even then I'd prefer Graffiti. I don't mean Graffiti-like method, I mean Graffiti; both Graffiti2 from Palm and Letter Recognizer from MS are bad. Transcriber may be interesting ... if I only wanted to enter English text. In full. All the time.
I use acronyms, I use Croatian language, I use programming language keywords and variable names. I don't enter plain English text.
Graffiti is the best entry method to date, seconded by physical keyboards of any format.
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Re:Not because there's only 1 (Score:5, Insightful)
I for one extremely dislike virtual keyboards. It's quite clumsy to type on them, unless you have a stylus, and even then I'd prefer Graffiti.
Not to mention that they are impossible to use by blind people, and hard to use by visually-impaired people.
Sure, I know Slashdot readers don't give a fuck about the needs of impaired people - but it's a minority that has otherwise great potential. I'd love to see manufacturers targeting specifically blind and visually-impaired people as part of their strategy.
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People who don't live in sunny California who have to wear gloves for part of the year. It's actually been the deciding factor around our Toronto office when coworkers have been picking their new smart phone. Most have been opting for non-touch screen phones, or the Blackberry Storm. The inability to use the iPhone without hassle while you're on the go
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People who don't live in sunny California who have to wear gloves for part of the year. It's actually been the deciding factor around our Toronto office when coworkers have been picking their new smart phone. Most have been opting for non-touch screen phones, or the Blackberry Storm. The inability to use the iPhone without hassle while you're on the go has ruined its chances of entering the business market.
I live in a cold weather area and I have never owned a cellphone that I could use properly with gloves on.
Malware sites (Score:4, Informative)
And how long before the malware stores pop up for the unsuspecting?
That's at least one benefit to a manufacturer run app store.
RIM has its own App Store, too (Score:5, Informative)
Microsoft might have a chance, but... (Score:3, Interesting)
I can see MS making an app store, but the rub is to get people to be using Windows Mobile based smartphones. So, the key is to get Nokia, LG, and other cellphone makers who are using JVMs on their low end phones to move to WM as the OS of choice. These are the cellphones that people obtain for free with a one or two year service contract, such as Motorola RAZRs. The trick is to get the phones out there in volume. I don't know if this can be done, though.
Once WM is very common, as opposed to now where it pretty much is in a limited selection of phones, both Microsoft, and the WM app makers would benefit. Windows Mobile is a decent platform to write code on. It does require signed code for smartphones for the most part (less with PocketPC devices), but app makers can buy their own certificates and do the distribution themselves.
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Once WM is very common, as opposed to now where it pretty much is in a limited selection of phones, both Microsoft, and the WM app makers would benefit
Same question I posed to the guy who said things would change once Android gained market share: what circumstances are going to change that will cause WM to gain market share?
Also, OS X is in a very limited selection of phones. Ditto Android. I can name those phones, as can probably all Slashdotters and I suspect a decent number of people on the street who don't even have smartphones could, too. What phones run WM? Uh... I think some Palms do. Other than that, I have no idea. And my life doesn't seem
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Middle-range ones are getting there, E50 for example, which can be had for 100 now, new, without contract. Or practically free with one.
As for the TRUE low-end...remember that's not a typical phone that people in the western world get with their contracts; they're getting middle-range. Low-end means Nokia 1100, 1200, 1208, etc. And I kinda like them the way they are... (exceptionally good not only if all you need is phonecalls & sms, also for second/emergency phone/backpacking)
I've just ditched my 3rd Windows Mobile (Score:4, Interesting)
The worst of these is Windows constant delivery of messages to the user. On a desktop the "you have unused desktop icons" bubble is annoying - on a Windows mobile device, a bubble that takes the user focus away from, say
is a serious barrier to usage.
The other thing that finally caused me to switch to a Crackberry (which is fantastic) was that it would crash on receiving a call occasionally - brilliant. It was the HTC Tytan if anybody cares.
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Once WM is very common...
After about ten years with Microsoft pushing CE/WM and using whatever resources it could to gain adoption and marketshare, if it's not very common by now there's no chance it ever will be. I could be wrong, but I don't think so in this case - there's no sign of anything amazing in the pipeline from Microsoft, and the upcoming cuts to their staffing are all but killing development in many areas.
If Microsoft couldn't do it by now, what makes you think they'll ever do it?
Is it? (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't really have a dog in this fight - my brother owns an iPod Touch and I have a Blackberry Curve - but it doesn't seem to me that there's much competition on any front for Apple's App Store. For most of the smart phones I wouldn't even consider buying software (I don't think my Curve delivers an experience that I want - I would rather use other portable devices to do what software could do).
The one thing that may be able to mount a challenge is the DSi's app store - but here in Japan where the DSi is already out, I am not really getting the impression that it is a must have feature.
Until someone is even mildly successful in the area, no one competition is really "mounting" for the app store.
Only one Android phone? So what (Score:3, Insightful)
There is only one iPhone, but App developers haven't stopped producing. I like the G1 better than the iPhone since it includes a slide-out keyboard and still packs in all the other features of an iPhone. Once the G1 has been around for longer and Android gets more market share I expect the Android Market to go head to head with the App Store.
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Once the G1 has been around for longer and Android gets more market share I expect the Android Market to go head to head with the App Store.
The G1 being around longer seems likely to happen, but I don't know whether that necessarily translates to Android getting more market share. Not saying it won't - the increasing popularity of smartphones is a rising tide that lifts all boats - but I'm not sure what circumstances will change to make it dominant.
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Dominant and competitive are two separate beasts. The G1, or Android in general, need not dominate the market to be successful.
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There is only one iPhone, but with some 12M users plus iPod Touch owners as well is a much larger customer base. We've been looking at support for mobile smart phones recently and hands down the iPhone became the priority 1 application to develop for followed by a generic mobile version of our site for everyone else.
Mobile World? (Score:2)
Technically it's not compeittion. (Score:2)
Only one Android phone available (Score:2, Insightful)
A drawback to Android application developers, however, is the fact that the potential Android Market user base is fairly small right now, as there is presently only one Android phone available, the T-Mobile G1.
You mean as opposed to the several dozen different phones Apple has on the market? Way to end a horribly fragmented run-on sentence with a cringe inducing logical fallacy, buddy.
The key is to charge (Score:3, Interesting)
The reason why the App Store has taken off so phenomenally is because they handle commercial applications. This means that any geek who can knock together a mobile application is tempted to do so by potential profits. Think about it, write an app, get it approved, and then instantly make it available to millions of iPhone users who are only a click away from paying you. That's a huge advantage for Apple - because those geeks will be writing their applications for the iPhone and not the other platforms. This is why there are so many applications for the iPhone already. Apple were really smart here. If you look at the numbers, there are more 99c applications than free applications, and taken as a whole, free applications are a minority.
Android Market is soon going to be rolling out support for paid applications in much the same way as the App Store. Once this happens, you'll see a similar surge in the number of applications available for Android. It won't be as pronounced as the App Store's curve, because Apple have a head-start now, but it will certainly put Android in the game. Although the iPhone has the client numbers, Android has the developer numbers simply because you don't need a Mac to develop Android applications.
Only One? (Score:2)
Uh, I hate to break it to the detractors of the Android Market, but the Apple app store applies to only one phone as well. And while the iPhone IS the New Hotness status symbol and so forth, there are still a hundred and one Razr/Blackberry/HTC/Envy/Blackjack owners for a single iPhone owner. Despite its popularity, the iPhone is far from ubiquitous.
What Policies? (Score:3, Interesting)
I'm interested what the policies are on all the different app stores. I know everyone here hates Apple's restrictive policies, but I do appreciate how I can download any app from their app store and not worry about it breaking my iphone, spreading viruses, changing system defaults, or worse (like stealing passwords).
What approval processes and policies do these other stores have?
Application deployment (Score:3, Insightful)
The App Store is the most important thing the iPhone has going for it. I have a Blackberry through work and enjoy using it (because it's free!), but getting apps is such a pain in the ass that the only thing I've installed is the Google package.
It would be nice if desktop OSes had an easy way to find and install new programs as well. Oh wait ... BSD and Linux do have such a place! How has Apple not jumped on that?
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"Outside the US, it it just a matter of time before Symbian and other platforms join PalmOS as interesting historical tidbits."
Ever seen some sales figures? Symbian currently is the OS on around 50% of all 'phones sold (and 40% of all smart phones) around the world. Thats more than the nearest 4 competitors combined (and that includes apple).
The US market is very limited and isolated in some senses because US patent laws restrict what can be sold in the US. In the free world we have the ability to buy 'phon
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Plus, taking further the example of mp3 players that original poster used - in many places iPods are almost nonexistent.
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That's all you're doing. Any Apple machine can be found in Microsoft land with similar specs for 1/4th the cost.
Show me another machine with the specs of the MBP that is as thin and cool.
Apple has many flaws, but they do make some nice hardware.
With that said, the low-end Apple machines are overpriced, but the high-end machines are priced about right for their functionality.
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Show me another machine with the specs of the MBP that is as thin and cool.
Usually when people say this they have a very specific feature - or combination of features - that are unique to Apple machines in mind. Which ones are yours ?
However, one excellent alternative to the MBP is Dell's E6400. You can even attach it to a docking station, which for my money is an infinitely more important feature than a tenth of inch more thickness (particularly for the price).
I will admit they're not as pretty, howe
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I think the previous poster was trolling. If not, then they are just engaging in wishful thinking if they believe Apple can drop prices hundreds or thousands of dollars and make it up in volume.
Show me another machine with the specs of the MBP that is as thin and cool.
This is exactly what starts yet another in the unstoppable chain of price and feature comparisons between Apple and other vendors and it is pointless in the extreme. No one here is going to do a comprehensive look or be able to find machines that are truly comparable not only in bullet point features but in hardware
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It's not 1/4th the price, but it is also not $2799; How about the Voodoo Envy? Or the Dell Studio ($799 CAD)?
If by "thin and cool", you mean "trendy fashion statement that runs OS X", then no, these machines are not for you.
Let's leave the ill-defined "cool" out of it, and just go with the first two-thirds of the AC's request:
"Show me another machine with the specs of the MBP that is as thin..."
The Voodoo Envy 133 is a 13.3" laptop, which makes it more of a would-be competitor for the MacBook Air, not the MacBook Pro.
The Dell Studio 17" ranges from 1.18" (30mm) to 1.69" (43mm) thick, compared to the 17" MacBook Pro's 0.98" (25mm), and starts off more than a pound heavier.
So you suggested a system that clearly doesn't have anyt
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How about the Voodoo Envy?
I don't know, they don't seem to have a picture of it. Does it exist?
Or the Dell Studio ($799 CAD)?
Genuine Windows Vista® operating system
Seriously, though, that thing is as huge and thick as my HP/Compaq Mobile Workstation. The MBP is slim. You have failed to read or perhaps just to understand my comment. Please try harder.
If by "thin and cool", you mean "trendy fashion statement that runs OS X", then no, these machines are not for you..
I don't much care about OSX, although I won't run Vista. But by "thin and cool" I meant physically. The MBP generates less heat than my laptop (less graphics, to be fair, but even I don't need a quadro) and i
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Apple's biggest cock-up is restricting carrier choice. I own an iPod touch and the platform is excellent, I'd love to have an iPhone but the UK Operator 02 has notoriously bad reception in my area. For business use we have established contracts and call rates as well as supporting infrastructure to reduce the cost of our calls from office to mobile. We are not going to change all that simply to get a new phone. We pay around £300 for our SmartPhones, hardware cost is not really the issue.
Jason
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Apple is running back-to-back-to-back record quarters, in spite of the economy. Yeah, Apple is definitely on its last legs...
Re:Nokia will officially launch an app store.. (Score:4, Informative)
Apparently you have never used an S60 phone. It already has the basic mechanisms in place in the download section in the main menu. All Nokia has to do is market the server side to developers.
Mart
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