What is holding back ap development?

[intellijel]

I have had my N1 for over a month and for the most part I feel it is superior to an iphone (which I previously owned for several years).
I highly appreciate the more open development system and hardware potential... but so far it is just staying at potential an I am still feeling like a way early adopter.

I do not understand why Flash and proper 3D games (that use the onboard hardware acceleration) are not out yet. In general the app selection for the N1 is shockingly bad.
So maybe I am ignorant... what in the near future will allow the Android Market to compete with iPhone?
Why is google not using its zillions of dollars to fund quick development of killer apps to help show off the floundering phone?

In a couple of months apple will surely unveil a 4G iphone. Even the highly criticized iPad (with its unfortunate lack of flash and closed development) already has awesome apps and is highly usable...far more so than any Android product.

I really want android stuff to be successful and compete with apple but so far it seems to be taking a very slow road.....

[bozzy]

Flash 10.1 will not be released until at least May. Since 10.1 is the first full version of flash to work on mobile devices (flash lite is terrible), it would be impossible for Google to include it until then.

[beeng]

I find this slow-and-steady approach to development typical of Google. They always release things early and continuously add features or abilities. The nice thing about the N1 is it has some pretty powerful hardware in it, so it's only a matter of time until developers start truly harnessing the power of the device.

[intellijel]

Originally Posted by beeng

I find this slow-and-steady approach to development typical of Google. They always release things early and continuously add features or abilities. The nice thing about the N1 is it has some pretty powerful hardware in it, so it's only a matter of time until developers start truly harnessing the power of the device.

My fear is that they are too slow and by the time they release something decent, apple will already have released a 4G iphone with specs that far exceed the N1 and with an already huge developer base.

Hopefully some Android based tablets come out asap to compete with the ipad and stimulate more cross platform development.

[beeng]

I doubt the 4G will surpass the N1 so far that it eliminates the N1 all together... Apple has also very recently caused quite a stir in the iphone developer community with a couple new policies. I wouldn't be surprised if a large number of developers jump ship for the android OS.

[bozzy]

Originally Posted by beeng

My fear is that they are too slow and by the time they release something decent, apple will already have released a 4G iphone with specs that far exceed the N1 and with an already huge developer base.

Google has been releasing Android updates at a insane speed. What makes you think they are going to stop now?

[dimmakherbs]

The bottom line is that Android isn't the leader (yet?)
If you were to make apps for money and you looked at the breakdown of users and saw Android was 15-20% of the market and Apple was 60% (i don't know what the real figures are) who would you start developing for?
However this year will have great success for Android phones, I mean Verizon the largest company only has the DROID which wasn't appealing for non-physical keyboard phone users etc.. and people are waiting for the N1 and Incredible etc...
First developers will start finding a way to easily make their apps on iPhone transition to Android as well.
Also Adobe is launching CS5 which is supposed to have like an automatic function to turn develpment right into a flash app! Guess what Flash is now banned from iphone and ipad develpment! Apple also excluded many other ways to make their apps. These developers using these tools can either buy different sofware and jumpt through hoops or start making Android apps!

Also I always recommend people email developers who have apps on apple that arent' on Android to make one. They wont know to do until they start getting the NEED to! create the urgency!