Hey Vic - let's now look at a (non biased) source of info, shall we??
Ness-Net
10 Reasons Why Even the iPhone Can't Stop Android's Rise
News Analysis: The iPhone might be the leader in the mobile phone market, but that success won't be enough to stop
Android's rise. Google's platform is simply too compelling and too appealing to consumers not to capture significant
market share.
With the launch of Motorola's Droid smartphone, Google's Android operating system is officially on the mobile-platform
map. It has been around for a while, of course, but until now, most people shopping for smartphones had little knowledge
about its existence or the value it provides. It was, for the most part, an unknown entity.
But it certainly isn't anymore. According to most calculations, Motorola sold 250,000 Droid smartphones in the phone's
first week of availability. Not only is this the most successful launch of an Android phone to date, Motorola has said it
expects to sell 1 million Droid phones by the end of 2009.
That's no small feat. Although the iPhone still reigns supreme in the marketplace, Droid has ushered in a new era in the
smartphone business. No longer is the iPhone the only viable touch-screen device on the market. Thanks to the help of the
Droid, Google's mobile platform is now in front of a mainstream audience. It's becoming a household name. And not even
the iPhone, with all its popularity and might in the mobile market, can stop it. Here's why:
1. Design matters
There's something that the Droid, the MyTouch 3G and several other Android-based devices have that so many other
touch-screen devices don't: a nice design. A quick glimpse at the Droid tells you much of what you need to know about the
device: It satisfies today's mobile users' requirement for a design aesthetic. It has a sleek finish, a physical keyboard
for more accurate typing and a large, vibrant screen. It's a beauty. And consumers know it.
2. The law of numbers
The iPhone might lead the pack, but it's only a single device that's available via one carrier. Android is a different
entity altogether. Rather than get into the hardware game, Google has decided to offer its software to vendors, so it can
be found on multiple carriers and several devices. Over time, that could help Google capture more market share as Apple
continues its own, single-carrier model with the iPhone.
3. Apps, anyone?
One of the major reasons why the iPhone is so successful is its applications. With over 100,000 applications in the App
Store, it's leading the way in third-party software. But Google's Android platform comes in second. It may only have a
fraction of the apps Apple's platform does, but the list is growing. And as more consumers start picking up Android-based
devices, you can bet that mobile developers will migrate to Android with them. Expect far more apps in the Android Market
sooner rather than later.
4. Touch screens galore
Although traditional phones like the BlackBerry Tour are still selling well, it's the touch-screen device that carries
the day when customers look for new phones. Like the iPhone, Android-based devices have that market covered. The Droid,
like several other Android devices, features a touch screen that reacts well to human touch. It's responsive, hand
gestures are quite easily performed and, for the most part, the experience is better than that of many of the other
touch-screen devices (although not the iPhone) on the market. That means something to customers.
5. Google understands the consumer
Whether or not companies like Microsoft, Research In Motion and Palm really understand the consumer is up for debate.
Their smartphones haven't been able to capture the kind of market appeal that Apple's has. But Google is right there with
Apple as a company that fully understands the desires of the consumer. It "gets" consumers. Nowhere is that more evident
than in the design and functionality of Android. The platform is simple, but useful. It's a fine alternative to the
iPhone.
6. What else is there?
Android's rise in the mobile market might have much to do with Google's strategy, but the competition also contributes.
Aside from the iPhone, there simply isn't another platform that can compete on any level with Android. Palm's software is
subpar. Microsoft's Windows Mobile is still an also-ran. Even RIM's touch software doesn't compare. At this point, only
Apple or Google are providing viable solutions.
7. Developers aren't happy with Apple
Apple's application-approval process is abysmal. Several big developers have had their apps rejected, causing them to
rail against Apple and its procedures. It has also contributed to some developers moving to other platforms, including
Android, to make their software available to users. The only thing stopping those developers was the size of Android's
installed base. With the success of Droid and the promise of far more Android phones to come, those issues with Apple
could push many more developers to Android, making Google's platform even more compelling.
8. Open source is essential
The major difference between the iPhone and Android software is open source. Google allows vendors and third parties to
modify Android as they wish to create a unique alternative to the many other Android-based devices on the market. Apple,
on the other hand, offers a closed platform that only it modifies. This might seem rather inconsequential, but there are
several benefits to open source, including the possibility of better security, more robust offerings from developers with
fresh ideas and a faster refresh cycle. It will help Google in the future.
9. Google projects brand appeal
Everyone knows Apple. But few people know whether or not Samsung or LG can provide a viable mobile experience. They don't
even know if RIM can take on Apple in the cell phone space. But Google, like Apple, is a trusted household name. By
attaching its brand to Android, Google has a leg up on the competition. Consumers know which company built the software
they're using. They know they can trust it. That matters.
10. The carriers want competition
Google's growth in the mobile market hasn't all been its own doing. Some of its success can be attributed to Verizon
Wireless and T-Mobile. Those two carriers were snubbed by Apple and the iPhone. They needed a device to get behind to
make it clear that there was an alternative to the iPhone on the market. They found that in Android phones. In the
process, they are marketing Android-based devices to capitalize on the touch-screen craze. It's working. And it's helping
Google soar in the mobile space.
Watch out for Android. It's quickly becoming a major force in the mobile market.
(and Michelle, I certainly think I'll be the one laughing last on this....)
nospam
<richard...@nessnet.spam.com> wrote:
> Instead of quoting from Apple Insider or another obviously biased source,
> let's see what the industry has to say....
>
> 10 Reasons Why Even the iPhone Can't Stop Android's Rise
>
> http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/10-Reasons-Why-Even-the-iPhone-Ca
> nt-Stop-Androids-Rise-651567/?kc=EWKNLVPU11232009STR1
>
> News Analysis: The iPhone might be the leader in the mobile phone market, but
> that success won't be enough to stop
> Android's rise. Google's platform is simply too compelling and too appealing
> to consumers not to capture significant
> market share.
and for a different opinion:
Android's rapid growth has some developers worried
<http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/11/17/android.wired/>
A slew of problems have made managing Android apps a "nightmare," they
say, including three versions of the OS (Android 1.5, 1.6 and 2.0),
custom firmware on many phones, and hardware differences between
different models.
...
"Instead of working on updates to our apps, we find we are trying to
make each app work for multiple versions of the OS and different
hardware capabilities," says Chris Fagan, co-founder at Froogloid, an
Android-focused application development company.
...
"You may build an app that works perfectly with all three firmwares,
but then when you run it on carriers' ROMs it completely blows up,"
says Fagan. "So we find ourselves having to create apps that are
compatible with multiple firmwares, multiple ROMs and multiple devices
with different hardware."
...
For instance, the Sprint HTC Hero was launched without its GPS setting
turned on. When run, the a2b application could trigger it -- but
Froogloid soon found that the standard commands they used reacted
differently on the Hero than on other Android devices.
Instead of launching the GPS settings, it set off the "screen unlock
pattern" settings, says Chris Pick, requiring Froogloid to write custom
code in their app for that particular device.
Google says it has emulators available that allows developers to test
their application running on simulated devices so they can see how it
behaves.
But it doesn't always work, says Fagan. "In a sense, we are shooting
blind with the emulators because we have no idea how it is really
working on the device."
For instance, explains Pick, the graphics for their 3D game app,
Cowpotato worked fine on the emulator but crashed when run on
Motorola's Droid phone. Pick suspects a bug in the graphics driver on
the Droid. Writing for a fix for it took care of the problem but its
not the best solution, he says.
John B. Coarsey, PE
"Ness-Net" <richard...@nessnet.spam.com> wrote in message
news:gv2dnWlYNotsgZbW...@giganews.com...
If Styletap can develop an emulator for this it will be good. Many Palm OS
apps will run.
Larry
news:hf5t0...@news1.newsguy.com:
> If Styletap can develop an emulator for this it will be good. Many
> Palm OS apps will run.
>
>
>
I suspect we'll soon see another Garnet Virtual Machine for Android OS,
like the one that runs all the Palm software on the Nokia Maemo Linux
tablets:
http://www.access-company.com/products/gvm/
I'm not sure the carriers will be too happy about Garnet VM on the N900
sellphone, which may keep it off it, but it is a fantastic, currently free,
addition to the N800/N810/N770 Linux tablets that opens up the vast array
of Palm apps, syncing just like any Palm OS device through Palm Desktop on
your PC over your wifi LAN that's lightning fast and cableless.
I've yet to find any Palm app that won't run, free or otherwise. Lots of
Palm Pilot users will be very happy if N900 or the Android phones will let
them run their Palm stuff, once again.
Verizon has a fee for that - $3 for Visual Voice Mail, $350 for ETF
> In article <gv2dnWlYNotsgZbWnZ2dnUVZ_smdn...@giganews.com>, Ness-Net
>
> <richard.nod...@nessnet.spam.com> wrote:
> > Instead of quoting from Apple Insider or another obviously biased source,
> > let's see what the industry has to say....
>
> > 10 Reasons Why Even the iPhone Can't Stop Android's Rise
>
Slashdot now has an account today of a major carrier blocking all paid
Android apps. Android is not getting the respect you have with an
Apple iPhone.
I can hear the pain in the Whirlpool forum all the way to the USA.
Verizon has a fee for that - $3 for Visual Voice Mail, $350 for ETF
> "John B. Coarsey, PE" <jcoarsey<nospam>@yahoo.com> wrote innews:hf5t0...@news1.newsguy.com:
Larry I get the feeling you are the same guy who waxes eloquently
about the fact he found a way he can run old DOS apps.
yeah right.