MrChaz wrote: > Having just received an e-mail from the Google about up-coming changes > to the market I was wondering what other people thought of it. > > The bit that I don't like the sound of is: > > "First, we have added the ability to target applications by carrier in > all > countries. For example, if you are showing your app in the United > States, > you can now choose among Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless." > > The deliberate splintering of the market by allowing carriers to > essentially have own market with their own exclusive apps is a > terrible idea in my opinion. It's going to make this confusing and > annoying for users who see their friends using software on an > identical phone and operating system but are unable to use it > themselves.
1. Some apps are within the terms of service of some carriers but not others. This "splintering" allows those apps to be distributed to users with friendly carriers, and gives users of other carriers a stick with which to convince their own carriers to relax their terms of service. 2. Some name-brand developers may be able to swing short-term "exclusive" deals with certain carriers in exchange for money, promotion, or other benefits. This "splintering" allows those developers and carriers to support all of that one carrier's users, yet still allows the developers to quickly open up to all carriers once the exclusivity period is over. 3. Developers can easily support all carriers in all markets, or all carriers in select geographic markets. You have to specifically go in to each country and toggle specific carriers to NOT support. Since, IIRC, the "all locations" option is checked by default when publishing an app, the carrier-specific things will only affect those developers who specifically request it. I would expect that most apps will be available to all locations. So, the question is: will the cost to users (in the form of some apps not being universally available) outweigh the benefits to developers (who make those apps in the first place)? IMHO, it's too early to pass judgment. -- Mark Murphy (a Commons Guy) http://commonsware.com | http://twitter.com/commonsguy Android Training in Germany, 18-22 January 2010: http://bignerdranch.com --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
