> > Android app development seems to be slowly imploding. > How much bigger can a phone device get before they become impossible to use? I'd say that point has already been reached with the silly Dell Streak. Dell has shown the world the wrong way to go, using outdated versions of the OS and slow processors like with the Aero.
As far as phone devices go, the current stable of devices are quite good. The Evo, DroidX, Droid2, Samsung line and of course the venerable Nexus One are all very good devices that are compatible, at least as far as I can tell. I don't think boosting the performance of the processors or going to dual cores will do much more than suck the life out of the batteries, so this class of device is probably pretty much at the zenith. Battery tech will have to improve somewhat before we can go forward with more powerful phones. I'm more optimistic about Android's future. I think things may be slowing down some due to the lack of exciting new devices hitting the scene in the last month or so but around the corner is the tablet and Google TV explosion that will rock things up considerably. The tablets have the capability to move Android into the next level. The iPad has shown the potential, Android will fulfill it. Google TV is another growth avenue. I can certainly imagine some great apps for that platform. I've been playing with the App Inventor as well. While mainstream developers may poo-poo that bit of software, it really has some potential to mainstream creation of apps. Currently (and hopefully forever), App Inventor apps cannot be loaded to the market but they do present the non-programmer an opportunity to create something they need for their own use. Companies can easily write inventory or simple accounting apps with this tool, which will open up the enterprise market in a way not possible with any other platform. I'd say that Android still has a lot of potential for explosive growth. The future is bright and we, as developers will have a job keeping up with all the different flavors that will be in the hands of users. While this presents a challenge, it also is an opportunity. -John Coryat -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Discuss" 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-discuss?hl=en.
