Android's "Flea Market" Needs Urgent Attention

andylim writes "According to Barry O'Neil, ex-President of Namco Bandai Network Europe, Google needs to understand that a constantly evolving 'beta' product doesn't cut it. It has to learn from the mistakes of the Java business in order to save Android. 'If Google is to present a threat to the Apple App Store ecosystem, it needs to address discovery and purchasing as a matter of urgency, or abandon control and hand over the entire management of the Android Market to carriers, OEMs and trusted publishers.'"

What

[blhack]

I'm sorry, but does android really need saving? I see more and more and more android based phones every day.

Re:I don't get it?

[RootWind]

http://www.cyrket.com/ [cyrket.com] http://www.androlib.com/ [androlib.com] http://www.appbrain.com/ [appbrain.com] http://www.androidzoom.com/ [androidzoom.com] Just to name a few... Sure, one by Google might be nice.

Re:I don't get it?

[Lunix Nutcase]

Sorry this clown can’t make money there it wasn’t built for him to make money off.

I'm pretty sure Google would disagree with you on the intent of the Android Market.

Re:Flea Market Analysis

[sznupi]

How convenient to forget that, with the arrival of Apple Appstore, the typical price of apps & games for mobile phones was lowered approximatelly by an order of magnitude.

Re:YES!

[ionix5891]

click the market app on your G1 and search

read the description

[Ice Station Zebra]

A highlighted set of apps and games available in Android Market.

Re:You mean like...

[BitZtream]

You mean like Gmail, Chrome, and a ton of other products that people use while in beta? Android's main strength is that it is open, cutting edge and changeable.

And with no charge to purchase or monthly service charges. People will put up with a lot more shit for free than when they pay. The for pay version of gmail is not bleeding edge constantly changing.

Don't want something -slightly- unstable? Get a BlackBerry and its outdated architecture. Want something that is going to be nearly the same from beginning to end? Get an iPhone, but don't expect stability.

Okay, now your fanboy shines through. Stability in my phone is #1. The fucking thing has to work. I've had an iPhone since a month after the initial release. I've not had a crash, a lockup or any other sort of issue except typing on the keyboard ... after I dropped it and put a massive crack through the face ... so its hard to get one particular letter to pickup that happens to straddle the line.

Either way, that aside, the fact that you're arguing that its exceptable for a phone to be unreliable blows me away. That is truely fucked up. Your argument for Android has turned into 'it sucks but not really much worse than anyone else!!!!'.

Android is doing the most things right at the moment. Windows Mobile is screwing customers by not offering software upgrades, Apple is screwing customers by not allowing them to use their apps, BlackBerry simply is a crappy environment to code for, and despite how much Palm wants WebOS to gain marketshare, it simply isn't happening.

Before my iPhone I had an HTC based WinMo phone for 2 or 3 years, never once did I give a flying fuck about a new version of Windows for it. They were out there and easy to get and install, most people don't upgrade JUST BECAUSE there is a new version. 99.999999999999% of the population isn't as retarded as most 'geeks' in this respect. All this does is makes it harder to target the device. Fragmentation isn't a good thing, regardless of what Linux fanboys think.

Yep, Apple requires you purchase through the AppStore that they control ... and you think thats bad ... except ... everyone else in the world prefers it over any alternative. Look at the combined android device sales figures, compare them to ... well anyone really. I was going to say Apple, but Android would be a lemon in this case so its not a fair comparison. Back to the point however, how is Apple 'screwing' customers? Because they require that the apps get some sort of oversight? Because they do at least some rudimentary checking to make sure the app isn't something bad and at least somewhat sane? You're arguement is that Android is better because you can get shittier apps because there is absolutely no oversight? Seriously? Really ... how many apps can you think of that you would actually use that Apple has denied that you can get on your Android device ... 1? 2? and ... if you weren't a Geek what would that number be? 0? -2? This argument is based on an issue that is only an issue because you use it for a battle cry. No one REALLY gives a shit in the real world.

The only compelling reason to buy an Android device is the Google name. Its not special or unique in any other way, but there really aren't any unique phones out there, everyone copies everyone, its just a question of how refined and polished the end result is ... in which case I REALLY don't think you want me to start going into details about Android now do you?

Now its clear that I'm an iPhone fan, no doubt there, not trying to hide it. I do however develop software that happens to run on the iPhone and BlackBerry. We've ported portions of it to Android, but unless something spectacular happens it'll never fi

As an iPhone and an Android developer

[Trolan]

Apple wins this one. I'm sorry, but the AppStore is far more polished and suitable for business use.

iPhone/AppStore:
- Daily reports, with regional totals for downloads and updates.
- Five screenshots for your apps
- Keyword search
- Large app descriptions
- Descriptions for app updates
- Semi-opaque approval process, but it's getting better and tools are moving many of the code-level stoppers to dev visible before submission.
- iTunes. For as many things that have been bolted onto it, it's better than nothing, and gets the job done.
- Up to date SDK with current examples on all major code paths, and iTunesU access to the Stanford iPhone Dev course.

Android:
- No reporting aside from a total download and currently installed count. (Yes, your android device phones home and lets Market know that app hasn't been deleted)
- Two screenshot max (Pet peeve: zero or two screens... one isn't permitted.)
- No keyword search
- 325 character app description
- No update descriptions, you get to fit them in the above.
- No approval, aside from the $25 to register on Market.
- No access to your app reviews, unless you're on the handset.
- SDK docs are up to date, but can be annoyingly sparse or wrong in spots. What examples there are often down-rev, hiding on the net and using deprecated APIs. Alas, it's a common fault in OSS: the code is the fun bit, the docs and examples aren't so much fun. They're often quickly written, are terse or flat out wrong.

The biggest problems I have, aside from the search problem, are the seemingly arbitrary limits on things, and the last of any meaningful web side to Market. It really feels like Market is someone's 20% project.

Re:I don't get it?

[StayFrosty]

There's an app called "Where's my droid" that is useful for this. If you text "Wheres my droid" to your phone number it will start ringing...even if it is on silent. This is mostly useful if you lost it in the house or car or something. If you text "Wheres my droid GPS" it texts back with the coordinates. You can change the text strings it responds to--this may be a good idea so people don't mess with you when you have your phone on silent.