Android Market Details

[Rand5]

Just been reading over the new announcement regarding the Android Marketplace, and i'm starting to get a little concerned...

Developers will be able to make their content available on an open service hosted by Google that features a feedback and rating system similar to YouTube. We chose the term “market” rather than “store” because we feel that developers should have an open and unobstructed environment to make their content available. Similar to YouTube, content can debut in the marketplace after only three simple steps: register as a merchant, upload and describe your content and publish it. We also intend to provide developers with a useful dashboard and analytics to help drive their business and ultimately improve their offerings.

Don't get me wrong a YouTube-like-service for Android applications is better than anything i ever imagined - but what about security?

Will the merchant registration require some kind of approval process? Or will it be a simple registration form where anybody can upload whatever potentially harmful code they desire?

I'm sure G won't have overlooked this huge security issue, just a bit unsure why they didn't mention it in the announcement as im sure like many others it's the first thought that springs to mind.

What does everyone else think?

[Andor]

It's a huge improvement over the system Apple use with the iPhone marketplace, and Google have really gone out of their way to encourage the submission of free and open source applications to be distributed.

It's clear Google are hoping the open code ecosystem will really enable Android to grow in this area.It also looks like they're giving the free applications a headstart by giving them support from the start.

[Clinker]

Overall i'm not too concerned about the security side of things.

I'm really happy Google have decided not to go down the same road as Apple with their many checks and subscriptions. This way im sure developers will be far more willing to build and share their software with the Android masses.

Such an open market for software really is gonna be a cornerstone for the Android cause.

[EwanG]

Question that I have as a developer who's just now moving into doing Android development (from doing Oracle PL/SQL code, so it's going to take me a while) is whether the "open" nature of the platform is going to make it difficult to sell programs. I'm concerned that all the discussion of an open platform using open source is going to make folks reluctant to pay for programs. It's also not clear how payment would even work. Will the market just contain a link to your webpage and you'll have to have a PayPal link there? With the iPhone AppStore you can do it all at the same place. Will the market have something similar? If so, what will Google's cut be? Not that I mind Google taking a cut to help me promote my program, but I'd like to know in advance.

Thanks in advance,
Ewan

[BedHead]

I think you raise a good concern Ewan, there is a lot of unanswered questions and potential issues surrounding the Android Market. There's just been such little official information regarding the system.

The whole 'open source' 'closed carriers' situation with Android will also pose a concern for developers too im sure.

Given Android's apache license, in theory companies like Verizon and Sprint could limit what types of applications their users can access from the Android Market - for example limit them to only carrier approved applications.

For the sake of current and future Android developers i hope the Google team clarify some of these Android Market issues and concerns soon.

But i think with the recent rumblings that Google have been looking to acquire Valve/Stream suggest the Android Market is still a long way off deployment.