"Just as bad'? Heck no. Here's the logic I'm using to side with android. Your mileage may vary:
(A) Google Checkout does not apply a 30/70 split like apple's does. (B) Unlike iOS, Google Market has no intrinsic (i.e. contractually forced) monopoly. If google's restriction annoys enough people then another market could rise up, and you can legally install it via a USB cable or by mailing it to yourself. You can install apps on an android phone without using Google Market. You can't say the same about iOS devices and iTMS, unless we hack the device. (C) Google doesn't even get the benefit of the default platform (the way IE held on to its market share even when it sucked as a browser compared to the competition) - because android device manufacturers are free to install some other market and leave google's market app off the out-of-the-factory install. (D) The point above means that if google ever did decide to milk the cow and gouge you on the split, an alternative appstore will likely take over as de-facto app store in a matter of months. For you as a developer, switching appstores is a tiny investment compared to i.e. switching from iOS to Android, requiring you to learn an entirely new API. Many many months of investment. (E) How hard is it to switch from windows to mac or vice versa? Quite a bit of effort. The same applies more and more to smartphones, so even if apple gouged so much on the app store that iOS bleeds out, iOS users will continue to suffer through the gouging for years because its still cheaper than the massive investment of getting (1) a new contract, (2) new hardware, and (3) expend the brainpower to learn a new OS. Thus, this 'hard to switch' barrier preventing competition from doing its work, in case Apple ever does go wrong, is present for the users too. Adding all this up means that google knows that screwing over their customers is bad for them fast, whereas for apple, screwing over their customers is bad for them too, but it'll take much longer and in the short term they can rake in the dosh (some claim this 30/70 split on in-app purchases means they already started!). Right now both apple's and google's reputation for treatment of their customers is stellar compared to other companies, but these things can change, and the model as is means google has set themselves up better to NOT resort to doing it in the future. As the investment (either to program for, or use) is so high, you SHOULD try and think of all this before you invest in a device. Meaning google gets the edge, all other things being equal. Of course they aren't equal, so, you'll have to decide for yourself. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Java Posse" 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/javaposse?hl=en.
