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Journey in Android Development, Android Market - the good, the bad

kai-mai.com

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Re: Journey in Android Development, Android Market - the good, the bad

#2
This fragmentation problem is starting to get pretty ugly. I have an HTC Hero which, IIRC, went on sale via Sprint in October 2009 and I cannot run Google Nav or Google Goggles, or use Bluetooth tethering via PDANet because I'm stuck with 1.5 My 3 year old iPhone 2G runs almost everything in the App Store while my <3 month old Android handset cannot even run Google's newest official applications anymore? This feels like a rerun of the Windows Mobile situation to me.

Re: Journey in Android Development, Android Market - the good, the bad

#4
post #2

This fragmentation problem is starting to get pretty ugly. I have an HTC Hero which, IIRC, went on sale via Sprint in October 2009 and I cannot run Google Nav or Google Goggles, or use Bluetooth tethering via PDANet because I'm stuck with 1.5 My 3 year old iPhone 2G runs almost everything in the App Store while my <3 month old Android handset cannot even run Google's newest official applications anymore? This feels l…

It's amazing that Google is heading down this treacherous path, I would expect them to learn from Microsoft's mistake and Apple's success.

Re: Journey in Android Development, Android Market - the good, the bad

#5
post #2

This fragmentation problem is starting to get pretty ugly. I have an HTC Hero which, IIRC, went on sale via Sprint in October 2009 and I cannot run Google Nav or Google Goggles, or use Bluetooth tethering via PDANet because I'm stuck with 1.5 My 3 year old iPhone 2G runs almost everything in the App Store while my <3 month old Android handset cannot even run Google's newest official applications anymore? This feels l…

The saving grace is that installable apps are still somewhat marginal to phones. IE, you could have a decent product out of the box.

Re: Journey in Android Development, Android Market - the good, the bad

#6
post #4
post #2

This fragmentation problem is starting to get pretty ugly. I have an HTC Hero which, IIRC, went on sale via Sprint in October 2009 and I cannot run Google Nav or Google Goggles, or use Bluetooth tethering via PDANet because I'm stuck with 1.5 My 3 year old iPhone 2G runs almost everything in the App Store while my <3 month old Android handset cannot even run Google's newest official applications anymore? This feels l…

It's amazing that Google is heading down this treacherous path, I would expect them to learn from Microsoft's mistake and Apple's success.

How would you avoid it, sell their own line of phones?

I think the value of Android is that it might produce an iphone quality phone at a (real) $200 price at some point by allowing cheap hardware experts to go to work on making hardware cheap.

Re: Journey in Android Development, Android Market - the good, the bad

#7
post #2

This fragmentation problem is starting to get pretty ugly. I have an HTC Hero which, IIRC, went on sale via Sprint in October 2009 and I cannot run Google Nav or Google Goggles, or use Bluetooth tethering via PDANet because I'm stuck with 1.5 My 3 year old iPhone 2G runs almost everything in the App Store while my <3 month old Android handset cannot even run Google's newest official applications anymore? This feels l…

because I'm stuck with 1.5

Well, yeah. The problem is not Android, the problem is that HTC is not keeping their Sense devices up to date. They apparently think that their proprietary theme is worth more than being able to use up-to-date apps. As a result, HTC should not call the Hero "Android", but they do. Caveat emptor.

I am sure that if you find an original iPhone and don't update the software that you won't be able to use modern App Store apps. This is the same scenario.

Re: Journey in Android Development, Android Market - the good, the bad

#8
post #6
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's amazing that Google is heading down this treacherous path, I would expect them to learn from Microsoft's mistake and Apple's success.

How would you avoid it, sell their own line of phones? I think the value of Android is that it might produce an iphone quality phone at a (real) $200 price at some point by allowing cheap hardware experts to go to work on making hardware cheap.

How would you avoid it, sell their own line of phones?

Yep, that was the way to do it, all right. Too late now, I fear, although it looks like Google might be going to give it a try.

I suppose it might even work. Although the successful precedent that I can think of right now -- Apple's move, under the newly-rehired Steve Jobs, to take back control of its hardware market and the Mac brand from the clonemakers by more-or-less nuking them from orbit [1] -- involves a level of aggression that I'm not convinced is in Google's repertoire, especially since phones aren't their core business. We shall see what they choose to do.

---

[1] Of course, that plan also involved deploying Jonathan Ive's designs and the NeXT operating system at around the same time. Google may not find it so easy to make such an enormous splash in the market, even though it's a market that Google helped to create.

Re: Journey in Android Development, Android Market - the good, the bad

#9
post #7
post #2

This fragmentation problem is starting to get pretty ugly. I have an HTC Hero which, IIRC, went on sale via Sprint in October 2009 and I cannot run Google Nav or Google Goggles, or use Bluetooth tethering via PDANet because I'm stuck with 1.5 My 3 year old iPhone 2G runs almost everything in the App Store while my <3 month old Android handset cannot even run Google's newest official applications anymore? This feels l…

because I'm stuck with 1.5 Well, yeah. The problem is not Android, the problem is that HTC is not keeping their Sense devices up to date. They apparently think that their proprietary theme is worth more than being able to use up-to-date apps. As a result, HTC should not call the Hero "Android", but they do. Caveat emptor. I am sure that if you find an original iPhone and don't update the software that you won't be ab…

HTC doesn't even release a SENSE UI emulator. Neither does Motorola Motoblur.

It's just not reasonable to expect developers to have access to all real devices.

All the device manufactures need to stop customizing Android UI unless they are willing to release a emulator.

Re: Journey in Android Development, Android Market - the good, the bad

#10
post #6
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's amazing that Google is heading down this treacherous path, I would expect them to learn from Microsoft's mistake and Apple's success.

How would you avoid it, sell their own line of phones? I think the value of Android is that it might produce an iphone quality phone at a (real) $200 price at some point by allowing cheap hardware experts to go to work on making hardware cheap.

They could fix this by taking away control of update the OS from the phone maker to themselves.

They could have a certain specs (like 3 screen sizes). Do we really need so many different types. No.

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