Rekna

The methodologies of Android Market and Apple App Store could not be more different. Android has taken to an extreme openness. Anyone can develop applications for Android and place their app in the market even if their app is not ready. On the other hand to develop for the Iphone one has to pay for the SDK, own a Mac to develop on, pay a yearly subscription fee, and get your application approved.

Both situations have their advantages but what is best for consumers? The openness of Android means that any application can be developed and pushed to end users even if it duplicates functionality of other applications. This leads to competition between application developers and Android developers and in the end should lead to better products. However, this openness also can lead to buggy or malicious software finding their way into the hands of end users which could damage Andriod's and the cell phone companies image.

On the other hand Apple's closed methodology should ensure that no malware gets onto Iphones. However, this is at the cost of a much slower development time and less competition in the application market. Already apple has denied applications that would compete with its own application. For example in the following article: Apple's iPhone is closed. Google's G1 is open. Which is better? - By Farhad Manjoo - Slate Magazine it mentions an application that was developed that allowed podcast streaming from an online source. Apple denied the application because it competed with their own application which only played podcasts that were synced via Itunes. In this case it is clear that the consumer loses out.

In the end it comes down to two worlds. The first is a world of complete freedom where there are no walls and you are free to do what ever you want even if that means shooting yourself in the foot. The second is a world where you can only do what big brother says you can do and you must rely on big brother to do the right thing. You are safe in this world but you cannot always do what you want.

Which world would you rather live in?

telekinetic

I bought a G1 instead of an iPhone. Does that answer your question?

In a user-controlled system, the crap will always sink to the bottom, and good stuff will float to the top. The amount of hacking people have done to the iphone and PSP (closed and VERY closed, respectively) makes me have faith that when presented with an awesome device with great potential, and an open system that encourages them to write whatever software they think of, they will deliver great content.

I'm not worried about malware...there are too many eyes on this for something malicious to slip through the cracks and get popular.

I'm not worried about 20 flashlight applications. There is no reason for people to write them if they know that they can write whatever they want, and if they do write them as a programming test, well, they won't get high enough ratings to get mixed in with the Enkin's and the Locale's.

Rekna

I can't believe only 1 person has an opinion on this. How about you iphone owners what do you think of this?

Jozrael

I'm a firm believer in open source content.

Cynthetiq

I don't instantly believe that open source is the end all be all.

Both have their places and reasons for existing.

I'm interested in a product that works with the functions that I need, not the ones that they think I want, or convince me that I need to pay $20 extra for 1-4 features that don't necessarily add alot of value.

I also cannot get behind a product that doesn't work well 100% of the time. If I can't get the EQUAL quality of POTS (plain old telephone service) then I'm not interested in spending EXTRA to get worse quality. The "portability" loses every time.

Now, passing this availability of applications, just because I have 50 choice on Tip Calculators doesn't mean I'm better off than 2-3 quality selections. Having to sit, vet out 50 applications either by reading reviews, talking to other users, is a waste of time that could have been spent on other things.

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Rekna

I agree that going through 50 applications to figure out which one is best is a pain. However, the market has a built in ratings system which should help people find one of the best apps right away.

Cynthetiq

so does download.com, tucows, shareware.com, etc.

so I still am spending time on the lifestyle instead of the life.

__________________
I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not.