Tag Archives: Android Market
Android vs Chrome OS: It’s All About the Webapps
Posted on 09. Sep, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 
2 Comments
Should tablets that try to compete against the iOS and Windows run Android or Chrome OS? This is a major point of contention right now, with those who are impressed by Google’s smartphone operating system of the belief that tablets should run it as well. Those who are interested in a web application-filled future are patiently waiting for Chrome OS.
The key differentiator here is the way that both systems run applications. On Android, that platform requires a download and quick installation of apps. On Chrome OS, the Chrome Web Store will be a main directory for software. The difference? Anyone with a web browser and an OpenID will be able to use the Chrome Web Store.
Will Developers For Google Platforms Make Any Money?
Posted on 25. Jun, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments
It was brought to my attention recently an article talking about overall dollar amounts that developers make for their applications that are sold in top mobile marketplaces. Basically, a huge amount of money has been paid out to developers for Apple’s iOS, while Android has seen very little in revenues to those who create for that platform.
The fact that so little apps have been sold in the marketplace, coupled with the fact that there are more Android phones now being outsold by iPhones, brings up a few thoughts.
One is a recent report that says developers are indeed interested in making apps for Android tablets and smartphones; the problem is that this may be true, interest is not turning into solid numbers for the Android Market. For whatever reason, the overall amount of money that is going to app developers for Android is still small despite the interest. That’s a problem. Is it possible that Android users expect all of their apps to be available for free? That is indeed a possibility.
That brings the Chrome Web Store into the picture here. Expected to be the way that users will be able to buy apps when Chrome OS comes to market, one has to wonder whether it will be a boon for developers or not.
One way to prevent the same problems that Android is now experiencing is to launch an incentive-laden paid advertising model for the Chrome Web Store, one perhaps not unlike AdSense for websites. This way, developers can see that they need to create applications that captivate a large audience. This way, popular apps are created for the mass market, and creators make money for doing so.
It may not work for all applications, but it is a great way to launch an app market until there is a diverse set of people using the platform, which may be the underlying problem that currently plagues the Android Market. Too many people with the same interests, and for whatever reason not willing to pay up for apps like those who use the iPhone do.
Google Depends on Official Partners For Chrome OS
Posted on 07. Jun, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments
One of the things I have been thinking about after looking at the video I shot from the recent Computex press conference held by Google is that despite the confusion held by many in regard to how Chrome OS and Android will fit in with each other is that it is going to depend on the partners for each particular project.
It’s likely we are not going to see the same type of fragmentation that has surfaced with Android. Although some of these devices being made are not smartphones and thus cannot get on the current application market legitimately, some of the gadgets we’ve seen are giving us different ways to think about using Android.
Instead of a gadget free-for-all with Android that has happened, Google is officially partnering with a small group of companies to launch Chrome OS for a release in the fourth quarter. It remains to be seen whether the list of companies will at some point be expanded, but if the market is ready for a cloud-based operating system at the end of 2010, then there may be a ton of companies interested in Chrome OS. The question is, what will be required to officially release Chrome on a device? While it has been said hardware specifications, could that include the form factor as well?
All we know right now is that a 10-12″ laptop/netbook is in the works for the initial launch. That may perhaps be because touch functionality has not been completely figured out in term of user interface interaction, but I’m just assuming this point.
Anyways, it’s a different model than Microsoft, whereby they support so many different devices I can only assume that this sometimes drives them mad. Google would be keen to set certain standards for products that are released with Chrome OS. At the same time, being a platform that is going to be on open source software there will be innovative ways for the market to grow that could n0t happen with a Microsoft operating system.
thechromesource Daily: Links for 5/17/10
Posted on 17. May, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments
Although I’ve been unable to find an official link from Acer, Engadget reports that the company will not launch a Chrome OS netbook soon.
YouTube is now five years old; it serves up more than two billion videos to users everyday.
Scroogle now has its own Scraper Extension in the Chrome directory; allowing you scraped searches anytime you want.
Could Google TV be “the biggest single change in television since it went color”, as Intel chief Paul Otellini has been quoted?
The Android Market has had its website updated a bit, possibly in anticipation of Google I/O on Wednesday.
Sub-$100 Netbook Maker Switches from Linux to Android
Posted on 11. May, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 3 Comments
In a press release that went out a few hours ago a company called Cherrypal has announced that it will be offering a 7″ product for only one hundred dollars. What is even more interesting is that the netbook, called the Cherrypal Asia, will be using Android 1.6 which is a switch from a version of Linux or Windows CE that the past product line used. Here is a picture of the model:
All jokes about the massive bezel aside (you can get a 10″ for $148) this shows how Android is quickly becoming the operating system of choice in the mobile market. And although you cannot access the Android Market without a smartphone for now, there have been ways to get around that tiny little annoyance.
Featuring an ARM A9 processor, 256 MB of RAM and 2GB of storage, the Cherrypal Asia isn’t exactly a screamer. But with 3 USB ports and a regular keyboard, it would be a great product for kids or developing countries. We’ll see how well this product can do.
How Many Marketplaces Can Google Have?
Posted on 10. May, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 1 Comments
Back in March, Google announced its addition to Google Apps for outside developers called the Google Apps Marketplace. Now, that’s not to be confused with Android Market, which is currently only for smartphones. And it certainly doesn’t have anything to do with the Google Analytics Application Gallery, or even the Google Chrome Extensions directory. I’m sure that I have inadvertently left out some marketplace or directory that Google has, but it’s hard to keep track.
Do you see where I’m going with this? I understand the point of having places for developers to connect with the Google platform, but at some point this is going to start getting confusing for people. Really, why isn’t there just one name for the place that developers can offer up as well as sell their own Google-related apps, extensions, widgets or whatever? It seems like that might be a bit easier.
Apple, in contrast, has the iTunes App Store. They smartly decided that when Apps started to become big with the advent of the iPhone that they would just suffix “iTunes” with “App Store”. Inside the iTunes App Store, they sell everything, and my intuition is that as they continue to expand; they will go on selling everything inside one marketplace.
There should be one central spot for developers to hawk their wares, and this is the place from where users can download them. It’s understandable that perhaps Google is waiting until their paid model fully develops. But let’s hope for the sake of organization they give it one really great name, throw everything in there divided by app/service/media format and advertise the snot out of it.
Archos Tablet has Android Market Capability, Sort Of
Posted on 27. Apr, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments
Lilliputing is reporting that the Archos 5 Internet Tablet, a five inch slate which runs Android, now has a hack that allows users to get access to the Android Market. While we don’t usually post too much news on Android, this nugget seems worthy of a post due to the fact that Google is locking down the app store for its Android device for use only on smartphones.
The general thinking is that Google perhaps has better control over the hardware that is used on smartphones, and therefore allows them to offer a superior experience over other devices that manufacturers have put the Android OS on. We’ve seen some interesting devices sport Android, such as a car, but the problem for manufacturers is without that core application ecosystem Android is just another walled off OS.
So it’s not a far stretch to understand why even though there is a workaround for apps on the Archos Tablet, there still is some functionality problems with it in terms of certain apps. Again, it’s fine in Google’s eyes if you want to develop software for their OS platforms, but the hardware is going to be set to a standard that I think may make some manufacturers rethink their position.
Sure, Android and Chrome OS are free and offer tremendous upside for those wishing to develop for it, but there will be an opportunity cost involved because you have to work with Google’s highly set standards. This is probably good for users in the long run, however.
Eric Schmidt: Chrome OS is About Breaking Down Walls
Posted on 17. Apr, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 2 Comments
We’ve heard a lot lately about Apple and its “walled garden” approach to its computer platforms. When you think about this approach, however, this is the same thing that Microsoft has been doing for years. While they do not have hardware specifications set in stone like Apple, the ability to run applications is based on some set rules in a closed source platform. While Linux and its many open source variations have been around for years attempting to change this ideal, they have not been successful in terms of wide spread adoption.
Enter Google. During a talk at Google Atmosphere , the idea of the “walled garden” approach comes into play because before search became so ubiquitous, we didn’t worry so much about whether something was closed- or open-sourced. Now that we use the internet for a wider variety of things that are integral to our lives, taking a different approach to this is clearly Google’s strategy:
By the way, Google Atmosphere was a cloud computing event held earlier this week.
So with that in mind, there is still this fact that Google wants to open up all these data sources to make infrastructure easier for us, they are going to need to effectively control hardware in order to get the right amount of performance. Schmidt details the fact that they don’t want to build Chrome OS or Android machines themselves, they simply want to have the correct software platform the can enable better collaboration.
Instead of it just being Google creating these collaboration tools, they will open up the market to create them as well. Two examples of that right now are the Android Market and Google Apps Store for enterprise. Interestingly, with thin clients that are connected to the cloud it’s possible that the distinction between these two could begin to blur since you could theoretically have different profiles for separate purposes.
If you’ve got a spare forty minutes, check out the clip above. Schmidt talks about trying to create a new platform, about creating a new industry model. It’s been pretty exciting to monitor all of this because we just don’t know what’s going to happen quite yet. Information keeps coming out bit by bit and the overall potential of where we are going is simply immense.
Why Put Android on a Tablet? Convenience
Posted on 12. Apr, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 8 Comments
I’m a tad concerned here about the speculation that Google is going to release a tablet to compete with Apple that is loaded with Android. The understanding has been that Android would be the operating system for devices that have a maximum screen size of around five inches, but since the New York Times has put out a story saying Eric Schmidt is boasting that there is a Google tablet in the works running Android, there isn’t much I can say to refute that claim.
Android, much like the iPhone OS, already has a built-in applications store called Android Market. Having an inventory of applications ready-made for a tablet would be a great idea to compete with Apple, but something more compelling than that needs to be done to try to go up against the iPad. Perhaps maybe this device will be an innovative e-reader that is specifically for media – perhaps not as big as Apple’s tablet so that it is a bit easier to tote around.
This could also be an indication that Chrome OS is going to take longer than expected to reach a mature development cycle. Remember, Android was first announced back in 2007, and didn’t reach a stage where manufacturers started producing a slew of smartphones until late last year.
Also interesting to note is the fact that Google only supports the Android Market for smartphones right now, so any Google-branded tablet would get first dibs on a profit-rich application market for tablets. This information can be found from the “Available Devices” section of the Android Developers Guide.
It’s really anyone’s guess what may happen. Google wants to have a device out as soon as possible in order to fully compete with what will be a wide array of tablets that are expected to arrive in the very near future.
