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Fragmentation vs. Obsolescence In the Android Ecosphere
whisper_jeff writes "Engadget has an interesting article up discussing whether or not Android is fragmenting. While the article discusses the concept that it may be more about handsets becoming obsolete at a dramatic pace rather than the OS fragmenting, it also begins by noting that there are currently five different versions of Android on the market, which implies there is a notable degree of fragmentation. Regardless of it being fragmentation or handsets becoming obsolete to new feature sets in a terribly short period of time, I believe this development cycle could turn casual consumers away and hurt Android's chances for long-term mainstream success."
"you have to buy the OS upgrades, which I haven't bothered to do"
$5 is that tough to part with?
It has little to do with Apple. People are used to having their software up to date when they use smart phones. Android has plenty of defects in the earlier iterations that you need to develop work arounds for. The newer versions give much better functionality and performance, but if you are not able to develop your application for the newer platform, none of the benefits will pass on to the end user. While the iPhone apps keep getting better, Android developers will be catering to the least common denominator.
You start by saying it has little to do with apple, and then close by saying that apple will "keep getting better". That's good I guess, because apple has a LONG way to go before their platform catches up. I know, you are probably thinking I'm crazy, but you'll see as time goes on. OOOOOOOOOOOOOHHH SHINY will wear off, and soon.
Also, I'm not sure why you think smart phone users are "used to having their software up to date".... WTF? Since when? I've got a treo 600 on my desk that hasn't had any updates in several years, and the only updates it ever got were ones I hacked in. I've got a drawer full of RIMs you can have, none of them get updates. Iphone/Android and a few earlier exceptions force updates on users, almost no other platform has done this in the past. You were LUCKY if you got updates. They were not a forgone conclusion, as they seem to be now.
Maybe you should simply get some programming skills so that your software works well on all Android devices. You know, like 99% of all Android apps and developers already do.