Test driving the new web-based Android Market
Summary: Google today launched a user-friendly web version of the Android Market that makes it easier to find the perfect app. The new Market is up and running, so I checked it out.
We were all over Google's Honeycomb event today and some of the biggest news involved the new Android Market. One of the new features of the Market is a user-friendly web version that makes it easier to find the perfect app. The new Market is up and running, so I checked it out.
The site design is clean and shows a lot of apps on the screen at once. The apps are divided into a number of categories as shown in the image at right. The most exciting new feature of the Android Market is the ability to buy an app and have it pushed to any of your Android devices. I tested this and it worked as expected, with the free app I "purchased" pushed to the device I chose in the dialog box that appeared. The app was pushed to the device in just a few seconds.
I immediately repurchased the same app and chose another Android device by selecting it from the drop-down box presented. There is no indication just how many devices you can push one app to, but it accepted the second purchase without problem. One thing that may confuse consumers is that the Android Market identifies devices by the official product number instead of name. While I am aware that Samsung SPH-P100 refers to my Galaxy Tab, others may not make that connection. Since most consumers will only have the one device so this is not likely a big problem. It is great that apps can be pushed to multiple devices with one purchase price.
The new Android Market is a much better method for shopping for apps and widgets. The new web site occasionally gave me errors, but that will likely improve over time.
Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.
Talkback
RE: Test driving the new web-based Android Market
RE: Test driving the new web-based Android Market
I didn't know that iLoonyTunes can install apps WITHOUT wires... oh, that's right... IT CAN'T.
RE: Test driving the new web-based Android Market
Just go to the app store from iPhone and it can install any app... no need for wires, it will sync those to itunes if you connect... Android? no itunes app to manage music and video :(
I love it when Android users open mouth and insert foot.
They actually think they have a grip on technology.
Thanks for the laugh and the idiot post of the day.
RE: Test driving the new web-based Android Market
I think you missed it. Apps can be installed through iPhone AppStore. iOS upgrades, yes, we need iTunes on your PC/Mac. I think you should have checked this simple fact before your fanboism has taken over you.
Misdirection and FUD
RE: Test driving the new web-based Android Market
You don't need to sync with iTunes. You can sync with Windows Media Player or any other non-Apple music manager. Anyway iTunes sucks with any non-Apple comuter because it converts all of your music to AAC by default. It requires constant updating, and syncing it with other devices not made by Apple is troublesome at best, and most of the time impossible.
RE: Test driving the new web-based Android Market
"Anyway iTunes sucks with any non-Apple comuter because it converts all of your music to AAC by default."
You do know you can change that default, right? (MP3, Wav, IFF, Apple Lossless).
RE: Test driving the new web-based Android Market
Yes, I know you can change that...that's why I said..."by default". It's really a crappy way to do business...create a proprietary standard in your product and make it an opt-out situation. Par for the course with Apple.
Bull Shat!!!
I guess one persone the world will find that true.
And we just found that one person.
RE: Test driving the new web-based Android Market
RE: Test driving the new web-based Android Market
RE: Test driving the new web-based Android Market
TMobile SGH-T959, a Samsung vibrant, to Samsung Vibrant
WORSE PHONE EVER INVENTED!!!!!!!! ANDROID IS A POS on that phone and we can't even get 2.2!!
Good luck uninstalling all the crapware... oh wait! you can't!
RE: Test driving the new web-based Android Market
RE: Test driving the new web-based Android Market
Eventhough I had own share of WM Roms on XDA, why would a common user go to XDA to get a vanilla flavor of latest Android. There is no point in that unless you are like me. But how many of us would be found in an average user. Didn't that failed WM?
RE: Test driving the new web-based Android Market
I own a Vibrant. Believe me, I have complained about the upgrades, or lack thereof. But T-Mobile had a release via Kies Mini, not too unlike an upgrade via itunes. In any case, the upgrade was simply connecting my phone via USB, and agreeing to the upgrade.
In any case, I have an official 2.2 Froyo running on my Vibrant. I won't root this phone. I love the changes this software brings to my phone. I also find your accusations and comments to be unfair, unfounded, and appear to come from a place of ignorance.
As for the web-store, I've been very impressed. Much easier to search for apps, compare them, and then automagically load those apps to my phone. My wife's iphone has nothing close to this use-case.
3?
RE: Test driving the new web-based Android Market
Actually, there are more than that. One official Android Market app store. But different companies have also offered an app store, and you, if you were a user, could elect to go strictly to the Android Market, or you could go to any number of app stores, or you could simply load an app from a website. Of course, this does assume the user knows what they are doing.
In any case, the average Android user will only use the Android Market for their apps.
Now, what was your complaint?
RE: Test driving the new web-based Android Market