Word cycling around the Internets is that Google is giving away Droid and Nexus One smartphones for free to Android creators who have nonetheless one app that’s scored 3.5 stars or superior and over 5,000 unique downloads. And for once, everyone appears on the same page as to why this is virtuous.
First, gratifying creators for abundant apps is worthy enough. I’d called for comparable (though greater) measures from Microsoft for Tablet PC inventors, and actually, any business trying to cultivate an evolving market, like Android, wants to do things like this. Apple set the bar at a novel level with their App Store model, ascribing it to a common distribution channel, providing a great SDK, and lining up a venture fund. Google and others cannot resolve for trying to do the equivalent; they merely can’t match the utter fame of the iTunes Store. Hence, they need to stride much auxiliary to entice creators, and rewarding good apps with good handsets is a step in that direction.
Second, Android is merely on edition 2.1 and the disintegration issue is previously taking hold. The plan to upgrade all Android handsets (in the U.S.) to 2.1 is one step to addressing the problem. Making sure the top designers have access to an Android handset with the full power of 2.1 is one more. The perks are invite-only. Selected designers in the U.S. may get either a Droid or Nexus One, elected arbitrarily. The outside the U.S. (in restricted areas) get a Nexus One.
Undoubtedly, Android 2.1 is being dressed as the big relaunch of the system after a year of testing the waters, and Google is pushing hard to bring everybody together under the same umbrella. Well, virtually everyone. There’s no sign the numerous tablets and other non-phones out there running Android will essentially get the 2.1 treatment, and I don’t think they should worry trying. The form issues are also different, so better to let them run free. I wonder however if that’s where Chrome OS is meant to come in.
First, gratifying creators for abundant apps is worthy enough. I’d called for comparable (though greater) measures from Microsoft for Tablet PC inventors, and actually, any business trying to cultivate an evolving market, like Android, wants to do things like this. Apple set the bar at a novel level with their App Store model, ascribing it to a common distribution channel, providing a great SDK, and lining up a venture fund. Google and others cannot resolve for trying to do the equivalent; they merely can’t match the utter fame of the iTunes Store. Hence, they need to stride much auxiliary to entice creators, and rewarding good apps with good handsets is a step in that direction.
Second, Android is merely on edition 2.1 and the disintegration issue is previously taking hold. The plan to upgrade all Android handsets (in the U.S.) to 2.1 is one step to addressing the problem. Making sure the top designers have access to an Android handset with the full power of 2.1 is one more. The perks are invite-only. Selected designers in the U.S. may get either a Droid or Nexus One, elected arbitrarily. The outside the U.S. (in restricted areas) get a Nexus One.
Undoubtedly, Android 2.1 is being dressed as the big relaunch of the system after a year of testing the waters, and Google is pushing hard to bring everybody together under the same umbrella. Well, virtually everyone. There’s no sign the numerous tablets and other non-phones out there running Android will essentially get the 2.1 treatment, and I don’t think they should worry trying. The form issues are also different, so better to let them run free. I wonder however if that’s where Chrome OS is meant to come in.
