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Android's "Flea Market" Needs Urgent Attention

Posted by kdawson on from the step-down-from-a-bazaar dept.

andylim writes "According to Barry O'Neil, ex-President of Namco Bandai Network Europe, Google needs to understand that a constantly evolving 'beta' product doesn't cut it. It has to learn from the mistakes of the Java business in order to save Android. 'If Google is to present a threat to the Apple App Store ecosystem, it needs to address discovery and purchasing as a matter of urgency, or abandon control and hand over the entire management of the Android Market to carriers, OEMs and trusted publishers.'"

2 of 226 comments (clear)

  1. Re:I don't get it? by RootWind · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://www.cyrket.com/ http://www.androlib.com/ http://www.appbrain.com/ http://www.androidzoom.com/ Just to name a few... Sure, one by Google might be nice.

  2. As an iPhone and an Android developer by Trolan · · Score: 5, Informative

    Apple wins this one. I'm sorry, but the AppStore is far more polished and suitable for business use.

    iPhone/AppStore:
    - Daily reports, with regional totals for downloads and updates.
    - Five screenshots for your apps
    - Keyword search
    - Large app descriptions
    - Descriptions for app updates
    - Semi-opaque approval process, but it's getting better and tools are moving many of the code-level stoppers to dev visible before submission.
    - iTunes. For as many things that have been bolted onto it, it's better than nothing, and gets the job done.
    - Up to date SDK with current examples on all major code paths, and iTunesU access to the Stanford iPhone Dev course.

    Android:
    - No reporting aside from a total download and currently installed count. (Yes, your android device phones home and lets Market know that app hasn't been deleted)
    - Two screenshot max (Pet peeve: zero or two screens... one isn't permitted.)
    - No keyword search
    - 325 character app description
    - No update descriptions, you get to fit them in the above.
    - No approval, aside from the $25 to register on Market.
    - No access to your app reviews, unless you're on the handset.
    - SDK docs are up to date, but can be annoyingly sparse or wrong in spots. What examples there are often down-rev, hiding on the net and using deprecated APIs. Alas, it's a common fault in OSS: the code is the fun bit, the docs and examples aren't so much fun. They're often quickly written, are terse or flat out wrong.

    The biggest problems I have, aside from the search problem, are the seemingly arbitrary limits on things, and the last of any meaningful web side to Market. It really feels like Market is someone's 20% project.