Perhaps the weakest link in the Android chain is the Android Market. Frankly, it is uninspiring: limited searching, limited descriptions, limited dialogue between developers and customers, limited customer service to developers from the Market managers. Moreover, since it is proprietary and closed up tight as a clamshell, there is no effective way for the community to help make the Market better. Yet, we need a powerful app market for Android to be a long-term success.
Compounding this is the apparently slow uptake of existing competing markets, like AndAppStore and SlideME. While these competitors may be functionally superior to the Android Market, they lack one key ingredient: distribution. The OEM deals that Google has struck with HTC (and perhaps others) means that the Android Market is distributed on millions of handsets. That is quite the mountain for an independent third party market to climb.
Yet, something has to be done. Soon, the quality of the app market will be a key distinguishing factor of platforms. The iPhone App Store, while it has some warts, is better, and everybody else is rushing out markets of their own. It is not out of the question that Android Market could find itself in last place, dragging down Android's momentum.
What is not completely clear is why the Android Market is uninspiring. My guess is a lack of funding, leading to a lack of staff. But, that is merely a guess.
So, in all likelihood, two things need to happen to get the Android Market in a position of preeminence.
First, it needs a credible competitor. That competitor:
This is the stick: having Android Market be trumped by something that could, in principle, replace it as the #1 place from which to get Android apps.
With luck, competition will force some amount of change. Worst-case, the change is merely fixes to the existing Market. The best-case scenario, though, is the carrot: open up the Market and let the ecosystem help make it better.
One simple REST API and third parties could:
In all likelihood, Google could not afford to develop all the things the ecosystem might.
Conversely, none of this is possible with a Market that is hunkered down behind a wall in some sort of defensive posture, trying to meet the base standards for a Market and little else, hampered by resource constraints or whatever.
Mr. Rubin: tear down this wall!
The Leader in Network Knowledge
I couldn't agree more
I really wonder how the Market (app and service) could stay this bad for so long.
Some of its limitations could be fixed *so* easily it is becoming ridiculous, for instance: the 325 character limit in the description... What the ??? Clickable URLs in the description... And so on and so on.
I also really don't understand why Google apparently wants to keep control on the Market - of course I'm not a business guy, perhaps the answer is obvious but not to me.
For instance, why is the Market app not in the open source repository, nor in the emulator?
I thought it would be in the interest of Google to make the Market as available as possible, but apparently this is not the case.
Amen
Yep...I've heard iPhone developers complain about their market, but they honestly have no idea how relatively good they have it. The character limit on app descriptions is ridiculous. Screen shots and videos should be fairly easy to implement, but the poor quality of search adds a really sad and ironic note. Android is poised to take a huge bite out of Apple's market share, but not if they don't improve some fundamentals, starting with the Android Market.
advantages over Iphone
When Iphone developers complain it's usually about the approval process, or how long it takes for a submitted application to show up on the app store. An advantage of the Iphone market is how easy it is to put an application on it, and how quickly it gets listed. You can freely update your applicatoin to.
SlideME does have OEM Deals
Actually we, at SlideME, do have OEM deals but we've been keeping this info low profile. One is already public: http://www.gizlounge.com/?p=1041 (check specs)
We expect a couple more deals within the next 6-8 weeks.
You're so right
We recently released a game for the Android and we are very disappointed in the Android Market. Another question is, what will happen during the next year when al the new phones are released and demand (hopefully) increases?
Mark Fish Director of
Mark Fish
Director of Business Development
Digital Dandelion, Inc
www.digitaldandelion.net
The mechanics have failed to impress
Besides all of the other items noted here, just the overall mechanics of the Android Market have failed to impress. We developed a game for Android that at best serves as a 15 minute diversion, and we price for it accordingly at 99 cents. We clearly note this in the description too.
With Google's refund policy though, we have up to 50% of people download only to hours later request a refund. It is the equivalent of paying to see a movie, and then requesting your money back because you feel you've already seen it, and you won't want to see it again. It is the dilemma of delivering digital goods and services, but one that Apple seems to deal with a lot better than Google has.
> one that Apple seems to
> one that Apple seems to deal with a lot better than Google has.
The problem often is, you will want to try a program (or perhaps explore several alternatives) before committing. I can not afford to buy and test each and every calculator application available, yet I would really like to find the very best one. So in the regard, Google is doing it the right way. It may well be Apple deals with this better in your opinion but that's because 1) you stand to benefit and 2) Apple couldn't care less about anyone but themselves.
So moral of the story, develop compelling and fun games for your customers or offer a lite version. The model of pseudo-tricking people into buying, only from having revealed the cover have always been a gray area anyway.
Post new comment