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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're saying "You can write it once and run on many." But at the same time, you're saying "You can't target the latest platform, write once and run on many." Double talk aside, the problem is even worse than you are hinting at.
Case in point: a program written targeting a basic API fails to run on a Droid Incredible. A highly rated Lightsaber app I tried didn't work. The motion sensor API is the most basic, isn't it? Is there an Android phone without an accelerometer? And yet the app didn't work.
Something is rotten. Fragmentation, obsolescence, whatever pundits call it. You can't say it isn't happening though. It's happening, and at breakneck speed. New features come out with minor version releases, programs break, and the end users who depend on stock ROMs are left behind.
I have to buy handsets for bugfixes and features when they are clearly hardware independent. My HTC Touch Pro 2 came out of the box with different Sprint Navigation software than my Touch Pro original. I couldn't get the same software for my TP original through official channels. Android users are also at the mercy of manufacture's whims to release or not release ROMSs with the latest Android major/minor version: Android might support Google navigation, it may support Flash, but a user's device may not. Handset manufactures stop caring about a phone after they release it (especially after only a year). They neglect to fix all but the worst bugs and never seem to add features,
You seem to be denying all of this. When it comes do Android, it is not "Write once, run on many." Stale ROMS, manufacturer neglect, feature releases at breakneck speeds, and bugs of nebulous nature blow away your "Write once, run on many" assertion. You have to target a specific phone when you write an Android app.