Define good.
When Ford drops the price of its cars by 2000$, that's good.
But it does not make it any closer to more good then a Lexus.
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Google's Android Arriving Tomorrow
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Define good.
When Ford drops the price of its cars by 2000$, that's good.
But it does not make it any closer to more good then a Lexus.
I just saw the demo video, and it's a bit disappointing (at least the few items they showed)...
One thing that is a plus (for me at least) is being able to install your apps there whithout going to a "central" store/place...
I don't know the specific details of iPhone's rules, but imagine if I program a small app (just like a widget, on the mac I have many widgets, applescripts and such that I coded for my use only), and I would like to use it and be the only one to use it, I think it still has to go to the itunes store, right?
that's sad because if you plan to not distribute a program, there should be a way to install the app in the iphone without making it public. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
One thing that is a plus (for me at least) is being able to install your apps there whithout going to a "central" store/place...
I don't know the specific details of iPhone's rules, but imagine if I program a small app (just like a widget, on the mac I have many widgets, applescripts and such that I coded for my use only), and I would like to use it and be the only one to use it, I think it still has to go to the itunes store, right?
that's sad because if you plan to not distribute a program, there should be a way to install the app in the iphone without making it public. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
I would make a game for whatever the most profitable platform is. Windows games have to run on thousands of different configurations with very few problems, så it's probably not a big deal.
Yeah... that might be possible. It'd be an interesting testimony to Apple's hardware if there were any significant number of users who actually did that.
Look at the video maybe? It looks to have about the same footprint as the iPhone. Maybe a bit thicker, but not larger.
I'm a google fan and find Android a cool idea. However, I look at the open source community and see how long it has taken for Linux to get wings in mainstream users. I would think a new phone OS like this would be similar, and really not be a hit for years to come with anyone beyond the usual run of the mill 'nixers.
Sure, google has name recognition, but I don't think lots of people are going to go out of their way to get a "google-phone".
And for the unrestricted application market? It's been said already, but that's a turd pie in the making. Sorry, Apple may be controlling, but they usually put out quality products and I think they expect the same from developers.
Just my dois centavos!
Sure, google has name recognition, but I don't think lots of people are going to go out of their way to get a "google-phone".
And for the unrestricted application market? It's been said already, but that's a turd pie in the making. Sorry, Apple may be controlling, but they usually put out quality products and I think they expect the same from developers.
Just my dois centavos!
competition is always good, even though i dont see this particular android phone hurting the iPhone sales it still has to motivate apple to step it up that much more. Especially the app approval process, some of the stuff thats not getting in compared to the ridiculous apps that are available shines a bad light on apple.
Windows Mobile programmers have been doing it for years. Apps I wrote 5 years ago ran fine on my old T-Mobile MDA, Sprint Touch and now AT&T Tilt and not because I put a whole lot of thought into it.
Yeah but there lies the problem, with these developers making these apps. Apple has the last say wether they make it on to the app. store. The last few weeks have shown apple is very picky about letting app.'s getting approved, in time this phone may have problems, however it may have many more useful apps. that are not available to iPhone owners because of apples control issue.
p.s. love my iPhone, not really considering Android but like to see the competition
Yeah, look at the video demo. It's not large at all. Looks like it probably has a smaller screen than the iPhone.
Not the same at all. Windows game programers know that their user has a mouse, a keyboard, and a monitor that is probably more than 1000 pixels wide. These are all assumed to be true for any Windows game you may write.
Cell phones are DRASTICALLY different from one another. Some feature a pointer controlled by a button or knob. Some feature touch screens that may or may not allow multiple touch points. Some have keyboard and buttons. Others barely have any. Some have EDGE connections only. Others have wi-fi.
Screen size is also a problem. With Windows, the screen may be bigger or smaller, but you can count on a minimum size. Anything larger than that, you just spread stuff out. With a small screen, every little pixel counts when it comes to good design. With so many choices, they'll have to optimize for one size, and wish good luck to people running different sized screens.
The point is not that these programs will run poorly on other phones. The point is that you'll start to see Android apps that only support CERTAIN phones.
And that's where the true mess will arrise. With the Apple App Store, you can buy anything for the iPhone. With Android you'll be sifting through thousands of apps, of which probably 50% work on your phone, and 50% don't.
Now, this is Google, so hopefully they'll feature really nice ways to browse and sort the store items. Maybe filter it down to just your phone model. I do think it will work well for the user. Google is good at that.
But that's the user. It does not sound easy for the developers, so it may take some time for them to build up a good store since it's going to be challenging for anyone trying to build Android apps.
Is there really no approval process?
What does that mean?
Whats the relationship with Tmobile's app store? I thought they said no games on there.
There is NO way that a wireless service provider is going to support open applications on a phone on their network. What about VOIP when using 3G? If thats allowed, then just skip the voice plan and just get a data plan. Ringtones? Download music over 3G? I'll believe it when I see it.
If T-mobile does allow ANY application on the phone, assuming the API is open enough to support VOIP etc. then that will be a great day for all of us. The shackles from the phone companies will finally fall away.
What does that mean?
Whats the relationship with Tmobile's app store? I thought they said no games on there.
There is NO way that a wireless service provider is going to support open applications on a phone on their network. What about VOIP when using 3G? If thats allowed, then just skip the voice plan and just get a data plan. Ringtones? Download music over 3G? I'll believe it when I see it.
If T-mobile does allow ANY application on the phone, assuming the API is open enough to support VOIP etc. then that will be a great day for all of us. The shackles from the phone companies will finally fall away.
Let's be very clear about the fact that there are 2 different kinds of apps.
1) Information and data apps: Mail programs, chat, web browsers, 'to-do' apps. These sort of programs, like web pages, can easily be programed to take advantage of different hardware as it sees fit. These won't be a problem.
2) Graphical programs: Games, primarily, but some other utilities and applications are starting to be designed this way. If you think that "Galcon" can be made in one way to work on all phones, you're crazy. There are a ton of visual and control refinements that guy had to do to go from Windows to the iPhone. Every Android phone is going to require the same sort of tweeking.
It's this second kind of program that's going to be difficult. And it happens to be the more expensive, more fun, and more attention-getting type of program.
Android will have tons of great little simple, boring apps that do simple jobs. That's not the problem. The problem is that Android will take a lot more time to attract the really cool programs like Galcon and that new flight simulator.
It's not the they won't come, but that it will take longer and be much harder for the developers. And when they do come, I suspect each one will only work on certain phones.
That's kind of a downer for the platform as a "platform."
You have to be in the iPhone dev program (the $99 fee) to be able to use your apps on an actual iPhone. However, you do NOT have to put the apps on the iTunes App Store. You can release the app as "Ad-Hoc" which will allow you to install it on up to 100 devices. Or you can always just install the development version on your iPhone.
That's the key. The Android Market can offer all the VOIP programs it wants. But if T-Mobile wants to block it on their network, they can do that.
Kind of like buying a GPS program for the iPod touch. It won't do anything for you. Likewise, I'm sure you'll be able to load all kinds of programs on an Android phone that your provider will then block from working.
Jamba!, market leader in mobile phone content, supports hundreds of different phones in their online store without any problem at all. Simply choose your phone and press download.
Like desktop software, anybody can sell an application for any purpose. But I wonder if there will soon be headlines about a harmful application that resulted from the lack of an approval process.
Go back up and read my post on the two type of cell phone apps.
I'm not familiar with Jamba. Do these apps mostly fall in the first category of apps, or the second?
It's actually exactly the same. What game programmers cannot count on is a modern graphics chip that support all the features used in the game. Luckily, Microsoft has provided programmers with a nice interface (DirectX) that abstract away a lot of these differences.
Hardware abstraction is one of the features of an operating system.