Hooray for dinner! (Taken with instagram)
DISCLOSURE: I’m long $AAPL
Mike has a post (over on the starkenblog) about why Android is playing second fiddle to iOS in developer activity (spoiler: it’s where the money is).
But why is iOS where the money is?
1) Quality of apps, not just from indie devs, from the big firms tends to be better on iOS. Check out this article from iPhone Download Blog to see how Facebook & Meebo apps look on each platform (also, I believe the image source for Mike’s original post). Having played Angry Birds on a Droid 2 AND my iPhone, I wouldn’t buy it for Android… it’s just not as good.
2) Because there’s no meaningful review process gating app entry into the store, the perception that “the Android Market now looks no safer than a back-alley electronics stall in Shanghai” is not uncommon. Apple’s App Store feels “safer.”
3) Finally, new OS features get to users when a) Google spins a new rev of Android, b) a device manufacturer decides to adopt said version (probably for new devices only, not for last month’s device), c) creates appropriate device drivers for the new feature, d) “skins” andriod with the mfgr or carrier specific & confusing non-standard UI, e) gains acceptance from the carrier to distribute. Or in the iOS world, Apple releases a new feature directly to consumers.
4) I’ve run out of time, but will return to talk about the lowest common denominator hardware feature factor for Android devs.
valentine’s art for epix! this is definitely one of my favorites so far. after staring at these things zoomed in all day, i think i need a bag of conversation hearts…
Nik’s talents always amaze me.
