Comments on: Developer Sheds Tears For, Light On Android Market

By: Stan

Stan — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:49:57 +0000

In Switzerland, we do not even have access to paid apps !

I wanted to buy Twidroid pro, but until developers themselves make it available from their own market (what they are planning to do http://twidroid.com/download/), I simply can not do it !

By: Alex

Alex — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 14:11:33 +0000

Android has become very popular among developers in Serbia but we don’t have any opportunity to publish applications on Android Market.
There are also three phones that hit the Serbian market in the last three months: Magic, Hero and Samsung Galaxy, and became very popular in the short time, but their users cannot buy the paid applications.

When we can expect to get Serbia provided with this shipping/selling license for Android Market?

I have so many ideas but just don’t have any interests to publish my applications for free just as many developers here.

By: Bear

Bear — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 08:51:30 +0000

Since the only way to pay for apps on android market here in Sweden and many other countrys is to root the phone sales won’t sky rocket. It isn’t something ordinary user do. If only it would be possible to pay for apps on your android phone out of the box, people would for sure. So quit talking about that developers don’t make any money on market in comparison to app store, it’s not really an interesting comparison.

By: KM

KM — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:44:32 +0000

So basically, the US is the only place you can get the app store? That really sucks, because getting an Android phone in the US is tough. T-Mobile is not an option in the state I live in. It seems like all the Android phones are released in other countries, but all the apps are released here.

By: skurtis

skurtis — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:03:00 +0000

I kinda agree with Jason above.

There is a fundamental difference between commercial aspirations of Apple and Google with respect to their Mobile platforms. Apple’s major objective is to monetize iPhone/iPod hardware and commissions on App Sales, whereas Google is primary a Search company and Android is more to solidify their Search/GoogleApps revenues on connected hand-held devices. Google doesn’t need to make any money on Phone, OS, Apps, as long as they can keep their Ad machine pumping. Actually its in their interest to promote the Free Apps, and its very visible in Android Market.

Android has created a buzz in open-source and tech enthusiasts. But Devs need to realize how much misaligned Google’s objective are with your paid Apps. That explains Google’s careless attitude wrt App Store. Sorry, the situation is unlikely to change, unless a third-party comes along and takes Android to truly commercial heights.

By: Pablo

Pablo — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 10:17:01 +0000

Just wait until all countries get paid apps, and there are more android phones in the streets.

the iphone app store might have been one of the first ones, but i think its days are coming to the end.

Apple nonsense for accepting apps VS do what you want unless its not illegal
$100/year VS $15 one-time fee (free if you dont want to publish in the market)
Mac-only SDK VS all platforms supported

what more can I say? I think the app store sucks balls,
its just that right now they are the only big one (because of their initial advantage), but just give it some time ^.^

By: jeremy

jeremy — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 03:10:46 +0000

I believe a lot of people are worried about using too much memory up. If we could run apps from the sd card(like its capable of doing), we the people would be more apt to buy more apps. So throw that in our eclair. It will pay off.

By: Paul S.

Paul S. — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 02:34:09 +0000

A lot of ranting going on, but here’s where I think we all agree…
The app store needs Serious attention AND marketing from Google. They probably thought by just putting Android and the Market out that folks would flock to it. And of course they wanted to grow Google Checkout. Now some carriers have agreed to add paid apps to their bills…a good step, but Paypal should be added : that takes care of foreign markets AND publicizing Android as a viable mobile OS.
Next, Apple had a TRIPLE headstart with both Macs AND Ipods AND iTunes….Now THAT’S a Huge advantage we don’t share! We’re still on version 1 OS and yes, there are kinks to be fixed less than 1 year out of the gate…both OS and Market (and marketing).
IMMHO, Google needs a more pro-active approach and FAST to gain good grounding.
DEV’S : keep up the great work as the next 6 months will pay off.
CONSUMERS : Consume and stop expecting a free ride and cough up the $1 – $2 bucks for the average apps and the occasional $5 – $10 as the exception.
Be realistic Everyone ad remember we didn’t start w/a headstart of 3 Fully Developed standards to prop up a new phone. Google has done fine but again Must step up their game. And a Big Shoutout MUST go to T-Mobile!
Let’s ALL be more patient And supportive of each other, especially now in the early days. It’s so much easier to teardown than to build, and trust me, a LOT of (fan) boys want to see us at each other’s throats!
Let’s prove them wrong!

By: rnz

rnz — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:18:12 +0000

Same story in NZ.

Would love to buy appps.

Can’t.

Vodafone NZ tell me they are asking Google and it’s not their fault.

No response from Google help. No explanations, just deafening silence.

By: John

John — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:10:10 +0000

After realizing what their game was no wonder no one bought it, for the price you can get 3 better tower defense games. Maybe they should lower the price and make a game worth buying.

By: J. Mac

J. Mac — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:01:20 +0000

Look – It’s an oen source platform. Period. A ggod number of the early adoptors came to the platform for that very reason. What on earth would make someone think that people committed to open source are going to cough up dough for applications when there’s very likely a free version either already available or just around the corner?
Earlier commenter who mentioned both Layar and Shazaam – Yeah, those apps are both monitized in the traditional Google way. You may notice that there is an advertisement at the bottom of the results screen in Shazaam, brought to you by AdSense. Click-throughs on Yelp, HotPads, etc. pay the Layar developers. Are they slick apps that kick Apple’s a$$? Most Def. Did the deelopers do it out of the goodness of their hearts? He|| no.
And while we’re at it? it all comes down to execution. Period. If/When I find an app worth paying for, I’ll gladly do it. When you expect me to fork over $3.99 for *another* soundboard, browser wrapper or freaking tip calculator, you are sadly out of luck. I’ve got a tip calculator – it shipped with the phone and it’s called a calculator. If I ant to hear Quagmire say “Giggity, giggity” I can turn on the television to any of the 15 channels playing Family Guy at all hours day and night. He||, I can turn the TV on with Gmote! Show me anything, anything worth paying for…
50% of iPhone users purchase apps. And how many of them also jailbreak and use Cydia? Or BitTorrent?
That being said, there is no doubt that the market needs improvement – badly. The rating system is just broken, mainly by the inability of anyone over the age of 13 to comment or rate, the total downloads statistic doesn’t take into account returns, the sort options are anemic (I don’t want a home replacement, I don’t want to see all the icon packs for the home replacement du juor, and I will physically chock the next mouthbreather that posts up a @#!$ing soundboard) and sure, google checkout is limiting, but paypal would be just as limited, or whatever your particular choice of checkout service is. But it’s always a vicious circle isn’t it? Everyone is screaming to open paid apps up to non-US markets, yelling that it’s silly for the carriers to have to be involved, but in the next breath they’re screaming that they want to be billed to their phone bill for app purchases. You don’t get it both ways there, candy-boy.
Here’s the last grenade I’m going to throw into the foxhole – Sure, Apple’s approval process is draconian, and it sucks, and no one likes it, and it’s squashing devs…but it also makes sure that there is at least some level of quality (used VERY loosely, because they still publish fart apps), so when you buy something, you know it’s going to work. On the other hand, the Android market has the return policy. 24 hours to test out an app. Does it work on your ROM? Does it do what you thought it would? Is it worth your money? If not, return it. If so, keep it. Simple as that. So tell me Devs, which would you rather have? An arbitrary, utterly black-box approval process, or an open market where you pitch your wares, and if they’re good enough, they make money? And tell me users, how about you? What do you want? A chance to try befroe you buy? A ggod look at something you’re about to drop coin on? Or would you rather know that someone, somewhere, is making decisions “in your best interests”?

I know where me and my rooted, modded, loaded G1 stand.

By: Jeroen

Jeroen — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:11:37 +0000

The return policy I actually think is a good thing. Can be used as a unique selling point. Plus, why shouldn’t you be able to return something you buy? Why should that be any different from “real” stores?

By: KCW

KCW — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:57:01 +0000

“I have no creditcard,….”

Please tell your customers to “Buy a Gift Card!!!!!” if they don’t have a Credit Card.

By: KCW

KCW — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:48:48 +0000

what about the android market return policy?

By: Jeroen

Jeroen — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:22:57 +0000

Oh, and yeah on several occasions I have come across developer websites that show no mention of an Android version being available, while having big buttons leading to the Appstore. That doesn’t help either does it devs?!