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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.'"

9 of 226 comments (clear)

  1. I don't get it? by ckaminski · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I use the Android app market, and I find what I need. I think the Apple App Store is more plagued with marketers vying for positioning in the vaunted "Top 75" than in any other fashion. How about letting me sort by "5 stars"? Anybody?

    I'm not sure I want anyone except the community "in charge" of what gets bubbled up in each category.

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

      http://www.android.com/market/

      You can't search for apps. You can on the phone, but consumers need better integration and ways to access information.

      Lets say you were interested in an Android device, how do you find out what apps are in the market?

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    2. 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.

    3. Re:I don't get it? by NeutronCowboy · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I think the problem with the Android app market is that you have no idea what you're missing in your searches. There are categories, sure. But do I really want to browse 5000 apps in entertainment to make sure that that's not where the video players are hiding? Or when I search for a battery management app, do I search for battery management? Battery? Battery saver? And if I scroll down more, what do I get? Do I get results that are less relevant? Less used? Older? Combination thereof?

      In short, I have no idea how the Android app market works, and the search results are haphazard enough that I don't trust it. And as you pointed out, I can't even organize the search results. No sorting by downloads, by popularity, by ratings, or by developer.

      The Android App store is right now my biggest gripe of the entire Android ecosystem. Google and others have produced some outstanding apps, but I have no idea if they're there, or what it is that I should search for.

      Here are a couple of suggestions that would drastically improve the user experience:
      - have a web interface available. Seriously, that's a no-brainer.
      - let me order the results by ratings, downloads, date, publisher and name. Another complete no-brainer.
      - Allow me to recommend apps to friends and contacts. Or allow me to set my download privacy so that friends and contacts can see what I installed.
      - Provide a staff pick

      3 out of 4 of those are brain dead to implement, and don't even require much computational complexity. Considering that the app store is part of what makes the iPhone the iPhone, I don't understand what's keeping Google from actually offering a usable experience.

      --
      Those who can, do. Those who can't, sue.
  2. You mean like... by Darkness404 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Google needs to understand that a constantly evolving 'beta' product doesn't cut it

    You mean like Gmail, Chrome, and a ton of other products that people use while in beta? Android's main strength is that it is open, cutting edge and changeable. A crappy interface or design on Windows Mobile is going to be slow to change, a crappy interface or design in Android is going to be quick to change.

    Don't want something -slightly- unstable? Get a BlackBerry and its outdated architecture. Want something that is going to be nearly the same from beginning to end? Get an iPhone, but don't expect stability.

    I had a Windows Mobile phone for a bit, it crashed so often I went back to my "dumb" phone before getting an Android handset that rarely crashes.

    Android is doing the most things right at the moment. Windows Mobile is screwing customers by not offering software upgrades, Apple is screwing customers by not allowing them to use their apps, BlackBerry simply is a crappy environment to code for, and despite how much Palm wants WebOS to gain marketshare, it simply isn't happening.

    Oh and never, ever allow OEMs, carriers or "trusted publishers" to take over app markets, otherwise you screw your customers even more. I don't want my carrier telling me what I can and can't have on my phone, same with OEMs and I don't want a "trusted publisher" removing all competition to their product.

    --
    Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
  3. Carriers by silas_moeckel · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Lets think about this, carriers love to nickle and dime you to death, hate anything that gets in the way of this, and only wish to allow enough function to sell stuff. The LAST thing the droid needs is the carriers getting involved. All I want from my carrier is fast reliable service. Some of my least technical friends have droids and after a few days of hating them they come to love them.

    --
    No sir I dont like it.
  4. How to Search Android Market from a PC by anonsdo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    You *can* search the Android Market from your PC, without having an Android phone.
    1. download the Android SDK
    2. start an Android Emulator, this gets you a virtual phone that uses your PC's internet connection
    3. load the Android Market application on to the Emulator
    4. Open the Android Market application
    5. Search the Android Market

    This is not an easy process. But, I have done it, and it works.

  5. Re:What by nomadic · · Score: 5, Funny

    It does, according to the ex-President of a company of which I've never heard!

    I know, I mean who's heard of Namco? What the hell have they made? Something called "Pac-Man"? What the hell is a Pac-Man? It sounds like a type of food.

  6. 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.