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Christopher Dawson
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Google App Inventor: Further degrading the marketplace?

By | July 12, 2010, 8:30am PDT

Summary: The Android marketplace is getting big — there is no questioning that. Part of what makes mobile app stores successful is quantity — but it’s definitely not everything. In fact, when the ratio of bad apps outweighs that of good, it can actually hurt. Instead of making tools that encourage people to create crappy [...]

The Android marketplace is getting big — there is no questioning that. Part of what makes mobile app stores successful is quantity — but it’s definitely not everything. In fact, when the ratio of bad apps outweighs that of good, it can actually hurt.

Instead of making tools that encourage people to create crappy meow apps, give developers better tools to build great apps. Compared to iPhone, and even Windows Phone 7, it’s a nightmare making applications that look and feel half decent — developers struggle making good stuff on Android.

Not only that, developers in countries like Canada and Australia are on the verge of boycotting Android due to the fact that you can’t charge for your apps once you’ve made them. If devs can’t make money, they aren’t going waste their time. What do you think of Google’s new tool?

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Topics

Google Inc., Marketplace, Android Marketplace, Garett Rogers

Garett Rogers has always had a deep interest in computers and the Internet, which led him to a degree in Computer Information Systems. He is currently employed as a programmer for iQmetrix.

Disclosure

Garett Rogers

Garett Rogers is employed as a programmer for iQmetrix, which specializes in retail management software for the wireless industry. He has no other formal associations with any software or hardware companies.

Biography

Garett Rogers

Garett Rogers has always had a deep interest in computers and the Internet, which led him to a degree in Computer Information Systems. He is currently employed as a programmer for iQmetrix, which specializes in retail management software designed specifically for the cellular and electronics industry.

Garett's journey into Google started with his employer asking him to "get a better rank on Google." Diving into search engine optimization sparked his curiosity for how things work and led him to create a blog dedicated to what interests him most--Google.

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RE: Google App Inventor: Further degrading the marketplace?
markessw@... Updated - 27th May
I happen to love AI and I think it gives non-developers a chance to learn. It's seems Devs are upset that they can't monopolize the app world anymore. I do agree the apps could be better (mine included) but they will and the ones who are true and serious about it will continue on and the others will realize it's not for them. But it sounds like it's about not making the money but if you have a great app idea it will make money no matter how many so called bad apps are on the market.
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Right on
iPad-awan 12th Jul 2010
What's going to happen is the Android market will be flooded with [more] crappy apps. Google is playing right into Apple's hands since this will enhance the Apple experience.
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ROFL Android is just better than iPhone
Uralbas 12th Jul 2010
@iPad-awan and no matter how much you complain, it will take over every part of your life.

The new tool has nothing to do with the market place.

Google's Market needs revamping and they will address it in time.

But Appwise Android has better and nicer apps than Apple in every respect. That's the reason army and governments chose Android over iPhone, otherwise why would they if Apple is better?
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RE:Android over iPhone
Userama 12th Jul 2010
@Uralbas---Why would the army and government choose Android over iPhone. Because it's cheaper, NOT necessarily better. That's how government procurement works, you know?
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RE: Google App Inventor: Further degrading the marketplace?
Rama.NET 12th Jul 2010
@Uralbas
they both have farting apps, that shows the experience and quality of apps there.
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Say what?
dave95. 12th Jul 2010
@Uralbas

But Appwise Android has better and nicer apps than Apple in every respect.

Ok I have to call you out on that lie...
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RE: Google App Inventor: Further degrading the marketplace?
storm14k 12th Jul 2010
@Userama No actually its because they can get exactly what they want/need out of it.
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Not a lie dave
Uralbas 12th Jul 2010
@dave95

Does iPhone have:

- google navigation?
- swype?
- gesture control?
- google voice?
- google goggles?
- google translation?
- App Inventor?

And you are wrong on price, if you really want to know a bit more do some research on J. Sorenson and you will learn more and talk less.
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Hey, wait just a minute!
Userama 12th Jul 2010
I LOVE meow apps.
Morris the Cat
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Low quality has paid off for Apple so...
OS Reload Updated - 12th Jul 2010
why shouldn't it pay off for Android as well?

Low quality is a sure bet, just ask Microsoft, they have been exploiting it for even longer with great results. Microsoft only runs into trouble when they try to go average/high quality and fail, inevitably.

As long as you're meeting a market need it should pay off. Never were low quality apps in such high demand as they are now.
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A crappy app you want is better than a cadillac app you don't
dave.leigh@... 12th Jul 2010
Many people would rather have an attainable low-quality app that actually does what they want than a store-full of high-quality expensive apps that don't.

It's 1981 all over again. Google takes the place of Microsoft, but Apple is making the very same mistakes. Say goodbye to market dominance, Jobs.
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Good analogy but
iPad-awan 12th Jul 2010
@dave.leigh@...
Microsoft got lucky. Google will not be so lucky because Apple has learn from their mistakes and Google is run by idiots who has failed at everything so far if you don't count search.
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Sounds like twisted logic
dave95. 12th Jul 2010
@dave.leigh@...

Sorry, nope, this is not like the PC race between Apple and Microsoft. Note sure why some make that comparison. Apps in general in Apple's App Store are cheap, not expensive. And there's more free Apps in the App Store than Google's store.
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Yes Apple has more useless apps
Uralbas 13th Jul 2010
@dave95.

Apple has 229,983 apps as of 2:30am CST Jun 13 2010 apps.. free 28.28% or 65,035

At the same time Android had 85,557 apps, 61.6% free that's 52,703 19% less than Apple.

But at the current rate of development 10,000 Android developers will overcome 45,218 Apple developers.

Its just a matter of time before Android has more Apps in every aspect.

Question is which platform has the most amount of useful apps. That's Android..

Ill give you a challenge, tell us one app that Apple has that's free that Android can't do equally or better that is useful? Provide us the list and lets go from there... not just words back and forth... facts!
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I must say...
storm14k 12th Jul 2010
...and I'm an Android user....there will be some good to come out of this idea but I think these apps should be marked in the market so that people can have an idea of what they are getting. Many of them will be crap. However this is great for somebody that just wants something to handle a simple task for them and they don't have to wait around for a dev to have the same idea and put it on the market. If played right this could make Android the ultimate platform for the consumer.

It could also force the market of apps to increase in quality. If anybody can create an app then maybe the wanna be devs that put all these crap apps in the market won't feel so special anymore and will stop or learn how to develop.
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RE: Google App Inventor: Further degrading the marketplace?
Trufagus 12th Jul 2010
I'd imagined that it was for educational purposes. Here's some text from the main page of AppInventor:

"In creating App Inventor for Android, we're fortunate to be able to draw upon significant prior research in educational computing, and work done in Google on online development environments."

Nothing wrong with creating some tools for people to learn and play around. And they can load the result on phones without publishing it to the market place.
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RE: Google App Inventor: Further degrading the marketplace?
pseudosig 12th Jul 2010
As an android developer, I can at least express my experience. I've found it difficult to make money from Android. Unless you have a lot more than 250,000 active users of your "free" app (w/ ads), ad revenue is peanuts. And android has set the bar for making the users expect free apps, so my pay apps aren't a significant source of revenue either. I'm pretty much going to abandon Android, b/c they may be nice to their end users, but I honestly feel like they don't give a hoot about their developers. They'd rather lower the bar to point of ridiculousness to keep their bottom line (snuff out their serious developers) than address the issues with Marketing their already existing apps (and associated developers).
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RE: Google App Inventor: Further degrading the marketplace?
mobile_manny 12th Jul 2010
"t?s a nightmare making applications that look and feel half decent ? developers struggle making good stuff on Android"

This hits the nail on the head, the number of OS versions and handsets (with different hardware) is why apps are a bear to get right on Android. I grew up writing Java code, but it is and has always been write once, debug everywhere.

The level of polish available on Android apps suffers from this ... and the cooler your app (more native stuff it accesses) the worse this gets. I hope Google gets it's act together before the Market gets even uglier.
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Android Apps?
carmanhere 13th Jul 2010
Everyone is talking about apps. I am very new to the Droid. I love it. Best phone that I ever had. Can someone direct me to other places where I can get more free apps. I thank you.
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Software Dev Elitism and the SW Dev
roger_tee Updated - 13th Jul 2010
What is this? Software developer elitism? The ultimate endgame for development of applications is when any layman can come up with an idea for an app and with minimal training implement it using accessible tools.

This stranglehold SW developers "Wizards" currently have on the flow of innovation in SW is unfortunate. ENough with the "SW wizards" lording their magic over the general population!!

BTW: I am a technical professional with multiple engineering degrees and years of dev experience. I say let everyone have the power to create powerful SW solutions without having to learn all the arcane and low level and inefficient wizards incantations to develop an app.

SW devs who disagree and say that you have to learn low level arcane crap to do good SW remind me of old time EE's back in the 80s who said if you didn't code microprocessors in directly in Hex and instead used an assembly language compiler you couldn't develop good embedded code.

Progress marches on and always rolls over the top of exclusive knowledge clubs, like SW Developers, who keep secrets and make things hard for their own benefit.

Down with magic!!
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RE: Google App Inventor: Further degrading the marketplace?
markessw@... Updated - 27th May
I happen to love AI and I think it gives non-developers a chance to learn. It's seems Devs are upset that they can't monopolize the app world anymore. I do agree the apps could be better (mine included) but they will and the ones who are true and serious about it will continue on and the others will realize it's not for them. But it sounds like it's about not making the money but if you have a great app idea it will make money no matter how many so called bad apps are on the market.

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