Very true, Its something which has been worrying me for a while now as well. With so many handset manufacturers coming onboard, how do app developers and more importantly, end user, know what will run on a particular device. his would be a great time for some google guys, to say (yeah we've thought about this but we can't tell you ;)
Otherwise it's up tot the community to come up with something, though I'm not too sure how easily anybody outside the OHA wil be abe to get people to adopt. Is there a reliable mechanism for this kind of thing now? I know you can specify a version of the OS, but I think we need something more abstract, ie I need a a certain feature set (of at least version x). Kind of like Maven dependencies for hardware devices? S On 4 Jan 2009, at 10:53, Al Sutton wrote: > > One of the problems I can see with multiple platforms is app > incompatibilities. > > With the iPhone app store when you buy an app you know the app will > work. With more Android devices coming out and the current state of > Market I'm concerned that users will end up buying apps which either > don't work on their screen resolution, or simply need features that > the > devices don't have. > > Hopefully the powers that be have thought about this and have plans in > place already for more than just endorsed devices like the G1. > > Al. > > Sena Gbeckor-Kove wrote: >> True, but I suspect there will be more Android devices than iPhones >> in >> short order. For a start Samsung sells the most touch screen devices >> (not Apple) and they're working on multiple handsets. Furthermore, >> NetBooks and other form factors will start showing up late in the >> year. >> Don't flame me iPhone fanboys (I have one, I have developers writing >> fr it and its a nice platform if you don't mind conforming to the >> cult >> of Jobs and being hellishly restricted API wise, it'll change). Apple >> is however only a single manufacturer. They make excellent devices >> thogh and have attracted a rabidly loyal fan base of which I am one, >> though less loyal and without the rabies. >> >> ;) >> >> S >> >> >> On 2 Jan 2009, at 22:13, loty wrote: >> >> >>> There is only 1 Android phone on the market - G1 and while there is >>> only 1 iPhone as well number of G1 users is nowhere near the >>> number of >>> iPhone users. Not yet anyway - maybe in a couple of years... >>> I think there are more developers desperately trying to get some >>> money >>> for their apps than there are current Android users willing to pay >>> for >>> them :) >>> >>> On Jan 2, 9:50 am, NitroDesk <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> @Dianne, >>>> You are right, i think part of the reason why the demand for the >>>> ability to release paid apps is high so early on is the fantastic >>>> job >>>> that has been done on the SDK, the platform that was picked for the >>>> programmability and in general the confidence developers (even at >>>> the >>>> time of release) have on the platform that they will be able to >>>> stand >>>> behind the apps they build. A lot of this is testament to the trust >>>> that we as developers place on the platform. >>>> So all this clamoring should be taken as a compliment :-) >>>> -Nitro >>>> >>>> On Dec 30 2008, 5:29 pm, "Justin Collum" <[email protected]> wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>>> I heard somewhere that there was a 90 day moratorium on not-free >>>>> apps. Looks >>>>> like I heard wrong. >>>>> >>>>> On Tue, Dec 30, 2008 at 2:38 PM, Dianne Hackborn >>>>> <[email protected]>wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> Just to be clear, this is lots of speculation and no facts. :) >>>>>> Some facts >>>>>> I can share: Android is stable as of 1.0 and we will not be >>>>>> breaking >>>>>> compatibility, and in particular we will not be breaking >>>>>> applications in the >>>>>> cupcake branch. >>>>>> >>>>>> Comparing Android to iPhone in that way is also a questionable >>>>>> endeavor, >>>>>> since the way they were released was very different: iPhone >>>>>> shipped for >>>>>> almost a year with no support for third party apps and then >>>>>> released an >>>>>> update to add that feature, while Android shipped from the start >>>>>> with third >>>>>> party app support. I can't comment on adoption of the G1 vs. the >>>>>> original >>>>>> iPhone, but clearly at this point there is a smaller number of >>>>>> Android >>>>>> users, simply because we started from 0 at the point where third >>>>>> party >>>>>> developers were supported. This is something developers should >>>>>> keep in mind >>>>>> and certainly isn't being hidden. >>>>>> >>>>>> On Mon, Dec 29, 2008 at 1:10 PM, Sven Boden >>>>>> <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> I think the answer is guessable (and no I don't work for >>>>>>> Google)... when >>>>>>> the android OS settles down more or less. I expect it a little >>>>>>> while after >>>>>>> the "cupcake" release. Currently some things are still going to >>>>>>> break and if >>>>>>> they would allow you to buy applications from the market, you >>>>>>> would need to >>>>>>> get a new version of the applications very quickly, ... >>>>>>> >>>>>>> I also don't think android adoption is as quick as the iphone's. >>>>>>> In a lot >>>>>>> of countries you can't even get an T1 in a "legal/normal way"... >>>>>>> Belgium >>>>>>> e.g. :( . So maybe if applications would come out now as paying >>>>>>> applications >>>>>>> they would disappoint the developers as well qua sales. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Regards, >>>>>>> Sven >>>>>>> >>>>>>> 2008/12/29 NitroDesk <[email protected]> >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> True, but the most distressing part is the inability to >>>>>>>> distribute >>>>>>>> paid apps on the market, even with the possibility of charging >>>>>>>> for >>>>>>>> them offsite. >>>>>>>> I bet this keeps lots of good apps from showing up on the >>>>>>>> market, and >>>>>>>> worse still, from being developed. >>>>>>>> -Nitro >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> On Dec 28, 12:48 pm, "Sven Boden" <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> There are already sites out there which allow you to charge >>>>>>>>> for android >>>>>>>>> apps, for the "official" site I didn't see anything out there >>>>>>>>> yet. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Regards, >>>>>>>>> Sven >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> 2008/12/28 Redhunt <[email protected]> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> Has anyone heard any news on when developers will be able to >>>>>>>>>> post >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> apps >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> for a fee ? >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> Thanks- Hide quoted text - >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> - Show quoted text - >>>>>>>>> >>>>>> -- >>>>>> Dianne Hackborn >>>>>> Android framework engineer >>>>>> [email protected] >>>>>> >>>>>> Note: please don't send private questions to me, as I don't have >>>>>> time to >>>>>> provide private support. All such questions should be posted on >>>>>> public >>>>>> forums, where I and others can see and answer them.- Hide quoted >>>>>> text - >>>>>> >>>>> - Show quoted text - >>>>> >>>> >>>> >> >> >>> >> > > > -- > ====== > Funky Android Limited is registered in England & Wales with the > company number 6741909. The registered head office is Kemp House, > 152-160 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX, UK. > > The views expressed in this email are those of the author and not > necessarily those of Funky Android Limited, it's associates, or it's > subsidiaries. > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Developers" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
