Android Apps and the Java Store

[ZekeDragon]

While I'm not sure of the motivations of many other software developers in the field, one of my key motivations for learning to program was to develop games, and going further than that, I've always wanted to develop them for a platform such as a game system. Game system development is probably still a far off dream (WiiWare is probably the closest console development thing I could take seriously in the next few years), but recently Android phones have been coming out, and they look like they're taking off pretty well. Anyone who happened to hate AT&T or Apple enough not to get an iPhone is probably looking to get an Android phone (including myself), and since that's an emerging market it's a good place to get started developing apps.

Another possibly emerging market is the up-and-coming Java Store, which I may or may not have talked about on these boards before. The Java Store should be being released as standard (or as I hear it) with each release of the JRE after version 1.7. This will, of course, open up a wide array of potential users for developers who target the Java Store.

What excites me about these two rather serendipitously coinciding events is that they have relatively similar policies with development; you sign up, pay a cursory fee, and then release approved apps on their according stores. They also both are programmed completely in Java, so I can very easily develop a single app for both, and in the case of the Java Store, it'll work multi-platform, and with Android phones, any carrier that makes an Android based phone (so far, I know Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon carry Android phones). As I can see it, the Android platform will be excellent to target, and while the Java Store doesn't hold as much promise, I still think it will be largely successful.

Now is time for Java Developers to prove themselves! I would love to see more people here and elsewhere getting in on these platforms to develop titles for, more content always benefits everyone. But... to the question...

IF TLDR, START HERE:

What do you think of the new Android platform, and will you be targeting it for future development? What about the Java Store? Is the Android a sorry attempt to try and compete for iPhone's market, or a brave frontier for free software in phones everywhere? Is the Java Store a pathetic knock-off of the App Store or other application distribution systems like Steam, or is it finally the place for Java developers to release their products to interested parties? I'd love to hear what you all think.

[sourlemon]

I really like the Android platform. It's easy to use. And yes, I will be targeting it for future development. I'm actually developing an Android app right now for class. I think the Android has great potential, especially now that Google decided to put their name on Android promotion.

The Java Store (you mean Android right?), last I heard, is very lacking. I heard it's not organized at all, and it's difficult to search for an app that you like. And the thing (I heard) about it is that it's not a requirement on Android phone. So some phone doesn't even have it. I also heard that there's no centralize place to post Android app, unlike the iPhone or Windows Mobile, who are managing and promote them.

Personally, if I have a Mac or that iPhone SDK supports Windows, I would make an app for that instead of Android. I just think they're more organize.

[ZekeDragon]

The Android shop (which is part of the Android OS and all Android Phones have it) is entirely separated from the Java Store, which is exclusively for computers. The only thing that makes it so the Android store isn't "required" is the fact that the Android OS is an open source operating system. For all practical purposes, there is no reason a phone manufacturer would want to remove it, since it provides hundreds of apps to the user that the phone manufacturer can use to give their phone more appeal.

So no, I don't mean Android, I mean the Java Store. It's an entirely separate effort. And I hate Apple with a bloodthirsty passion, Microsoft is dishonest but Apple is outright malicious.

[sourlemon]

Lolz I'm such a smartass. I didn't hear about the Java store. Since you were talking about the Android, I thought you were talking about the Android's store. I apologize. As I've said, I didn't hear about this subject, so no opinion.

As for the Android OS, I agreed. Removing the Android's app store doesn't sound like a smart idea. However, if you were someone like Verizon who have their own app store, wouldn't you want to remove the Anrdoid's App store so people would have to buy applications from your store.

Are you planning to develop apps for the Android or Java Store?