Apple gets more new apps than Android, widens app gap

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  • Reply 61 of 82
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    And both ignore that Android is intended and built for more than just smartphone and tablet use. Those other uses in the home, on the road, industry and other yet-to-announced products and services could end up being the much more valuable Android segment.



    Yet-to-be-announced is just that: yet-to-be-announced. It doesn't matter where it isn't. We're not talking about surface to air missiles here. And is fragmenting Android even more by throwing it in embedded devices that will never receive updates really the best option?
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  • Reply 62 of 82
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,731member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    Yet-to-be-announced is just that: yet-to-be-announced. It doesn't matter where it isn't. We're not talking about surface to air missiles here. And is fragmenting Android even more by throwing it in embedded devices that will never receive updates really the best option?



    If it was in embedded devices that would never receive updates, perhaps not. . .

    IF those embedded devices needed updates. So far the only product available today is lighting .



    Just like Apple, there's a lot going on behind the scenes tho (TV, audio, local and cloud storage, HUD. etc), and neither is speaking "on the record" about most of it.
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  • Reply 63 of 82
    addaboxaddabox Posts: 12,665member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    If it was in embedded devices that would never receive updates, perhaps not. . .

    IF those embedded devices needed updates. So far the only product available today is lighting .



    Just like Apple, there's a lot going on behind the scenes tho (TV, audio, local and cloud storage, HUD. etc), and neither is speaking "on the record" about most of it.



    This is just wishful thinking and hand-waving. "Probably Google is working on cool stuff that will be competitive."



    Problem is, Google has little incentive to do much in the embedded and control spaces, since such devices don't drive ad impressions. Unless you're good with your home automation telling you about investment opportunities and cheap light bulbs, don't expect to see much out of Google on this front beyond the typical Google labs somebody-is-doing-it-for-fun.



    And sure, any dev can take Android and use it in interesting ways. But without a coherent ecosystem it's just a novelty, the odd device here and there. Google can make vague intimations of Android powered homes, but to make that a reality you have to build a system that people actually want to use, and that takes a lot of work. Work that doesn't happen within Google unless ad money is involved.



    It's actually Google's greatest weakness-- they have no way of breaking their utter dependence on ad money. Apple will invest in any product that they think they can make really well and which will transform an industry. They can follow where the technology wants to go. Google can talk about that, but at the end of the day they can only follow those ad impressions.
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  • Reply 64 of 82
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,731member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by addabox View Post


    This is just wishful thinking and hand-waving. "Probably Google is working on cool stuff that will be competitive."



    With Solve for X, Google X, investments in renewable energy, several recent articles concerning actual Google developed and branded hardware, automotive developments and throwing in their new-found appreciation for the necessity and benefit of filing for patents on every possible innovation (as Apple is very good at, and should be), I'll simply agree to disagree. I doubt you'd be convinced anyway so no benefit to arguing about it.
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  • Reply 65 of 82
    addaboxaddabox Posts: 12,665member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    With Solve for X, Google X, investments in renewable energy, several recent articles concerning actual Google developed and branded hardware, automotive developments and throwing in their new-found appreciation for the necessity of actually filing for patents on their innovations, I'll simply agree to disagree. I doubt you'd be convinced anyway so no benefit to arguing about it.



    Google likes to have playgrounds where they can enhance their geek cred by showing off fun stuff. That's massively different from a sustained product strategy of the sort that would be required to push Android into areas where ad money isn't driving the economics. Things like "investments in renewable energy" have no bearing whatsoever on Google's actual business model, which is advertising. If you disagree with that, you are willfully ignoring the obvious.
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  • Reply 66 of 82
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,731member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by addabox View Post


    Google likes to have playgrounds where they can enhance their geek cred by showing off fun stuff. That's massively different from a sustained product strategy of the sort that would be required to push Android into areas where ad money isn't driving the economics. Things like "investments in renewable energy" have no bearing whatsoever on Google's actual business model, which is advertising. If you disagree with that, you are willfully ignoring the obvious.



    I do disagree with you, going by recent developments and media reports. It looks to me as Google clearly recognizes that they shouldn't depend solely on ad delivery. Besides hardware I see them investing in assorted tech development, basic infrastructure and fiber-optic systems. Some people recognize potential there, while others only see smartphones and tablets when they discuss Apple and Google. No matter really as your opinion is just as valid as mine. Neither of us are privy to the details on what's going on in the labs at Google (or Apple).
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  • Reply 67 of 82
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DaHarder View Post


    As far as the disparity in the number of apps between the two stores goes: Don't Know and really Don't Care, as long as the apps I need are available on both platforms... Which they certainly are. :-)



    Since I read this comment I did some looking. (Keep in mind that this is completely anecdotal and thus, your mileage will vary.)



    Of the apps that I have installed on my iPad I could find only 70.0% (exactly the same program or a close equivalent) for an Android phone/tablet. Don't even get me started on the Amazon Market (I quit tracking it after it was floating at about 25% for the first 30 apps.).



    So, it is great that for you every app that you need is available on both platforms. Because, for me, who uses my iPad every day for my job there is a sizable gap in what is available for the iOS system and the Android system.



    To give you a little more information, I grouped my apps into categories. I also was somewhat generous to Android as I counted smartphone apps even when there was no tablet equivalent available for Android. Here are some of the category percentages:



    -eBook Reader: 88%

    -Education: 50%

    -Engineering: 67% (This actually looks better than it is since the apps missing are the more powerful, expensive, and useful while the cheap/free and simple convenience apps were available.)

    -Media (audio/video): 73% (Android did really good until I hit the network apps, which I found surprising. However, given that Android supports Flash this might as well be 100%.)

    -Games: 50%

    -Art: 66.7%

    -Health/Cooking: 75%

    -Language Learning: 100%

    -Magazines: 0% (I was shocked at this, and it may simply be the magazines that I read.)

    -Productivity: 50% (While there were somewhat equivalent products for many of the apps that I use for management and work organization. The quality/feature set difference was stark.)

    -Reference: 100%

    -Shopping: 83%

    -Social Media: 100% (Twitter, Facebook, etc.)

    -Utilities: 100% (These are simple utilities like timers, password vaults, dropbox, etc.)



    In conclusion, Android's market is pretty much just as good as Apple's app store as long as you are using your device for consumption (ebooks, audio, video, social media, email, web, etc.) or general reference (recipes, shopping helper, timers, etc.) and the apps are cheap or free. However, where Android seems to fall WAY behind iOS is in games, education apps, and productivity apps.



    The last category is the Android killer for me. As an engineer I am managing several projects and using a decent number of helper apps. These are what is missing from the Android store. And given the well known differences between the two stores (pay out to developers being a huge one for professional apps), I am not surprised to see the report disparity in app submissions. And believe that the gap between truly useful apps and free/cheap, easily slapped together apps is only going to grow between Android and iOS over time. Meaning that while the total number of apps might not show it, the number of quality apps will continue to widen.
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  • Reply 68 of 82
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,731member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mknopp View Post


    Since I read this comment I did some looking. (Keep in mind that this is completely anecdotal and thus, your mileage will vary.)



    Of the apps that I have installed on my iPad I could find only 70.0% (exactly the same program or a close equivalent) for an Android phone/tablet. Don't even get me started on the Amazon Market (I quit tracking it after it was floating at about 25% for the first 30 apps.). . .

    -Engineering: 67% (This actually looks better than it is since the apps missing are the more powerful, expensive, and useful while the cheap/free and simple convenience apps were available.)

    -Magazines: 0% (I was shocked at this, and it may simply be the magazines that I read.)

    -Productivity: 50% (While there were somewhat equivalent products for many of the apps that I use for management and work organization. The quality/feature set difference was stark.). . .



    The last category is the Android killer for me. As an engineer I am managing several projects and using a decent number of helper apps. These are what is missing from the Android store. And given the well known differences between the two stores (pay out to developers being a huge one for professional apps), I am not surprised to see the report disparity in app submissions. And believe that the gap between truly useful apps and free/cheap, easily slapped together apps is only going to grow between Android and iOS over time. Meaning that while the total number of apps might not show it, the number of quality apps will continue to widen.



    Just as curiosity, what type of engineering and app would you need that iOS offers but not the Android Market? These are just the Android paid apps relevant to engineering. Certainly conceivable that there's a specialized one that is available for Apple devices with nothing comparable for Android, but with at least 1000 paid ones (didn't bother with checking the free) I would think most bases would be covered.

    https://market.android.com/search?q=...price=2&sort=1
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  • Reply 69 of 82
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    And both ignore that Android is intended and built for more than just smartphone and tablet use. Those other uses in the home, on the road, industry and other yet-to-announced products and services could end up being the much more valuable Android segment.



    So, to paraphrase Schmidt: "If you don't want people to know what you are eating -- maybe you shouldn't have it in your refrigerator."
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  • Reply 70 of 82
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    Just as curiosity, what type of engineering and app would you need that iOS offers but not the Android Market? These are just the Android paid apps relevant to engineering. Certainly conceivable that there's a specialized one that is available for Apple devices with nothing comparable for Android, but with at least 1000 paid ones (didn't bother with checking the free) I would think most bases would be covered.

    https://market.android.com/search?q=...price=2&sort=1







    AAC in Your Pocket
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  • Reply 71 of 82
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,731member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum View Post






    AAC in Your Pocket



    What's the relationship to engineering apps? Or was there supposed to be? Perhaps the point you were making wasn't clear to me.
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  • Reply 72 of 82
    GatorGuy at work:







    and



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  • Reply 73 of 82
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,731member
    Hmm. . .



    I did spend a couple of years volunteering at a special needs school in Lake Alfred, Florida with my first wife. Is that what you're referring to? Still not clear how that associates with engineering.



    Perhaps your point was you don't see Android Market equivalent apps to your link? I don't know if Tap-toTalk or Voice4u, both available in the Android Market, offer the same functions or not. Have you tried either of them?
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  • Reply 74 of 82
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    LOL at the guys moving the goal posts.
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  • Reply 75 of 82
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,731member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post


    LOL at the guys moving the goal posts.



    Is that what Dick was getting at? The post by mknopp that I responded to, then Dick referencing Education Apps for Special Needs that aren't available from the Android Market, then finally to his picture story?



    I think I see the direction now. Thanks Solipsism.
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  • Reply 76 of 82
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    Just as curiosity, what type of engineering and app would you need that iOS offers but not the Android Market? These are just the Android paid apps relevant to engineering. Certainly conceivable that there's a specialized one that is available for Apple devices with nothing comparable for Android, but with at least 1000 paid ones (didn't bother with checking the free) I would think most bases would be covered.

    https://market.android.com/search?q=...price=2&sort=1



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    What's the relationship to engineering apps? Or was there supposed to be? Perhaps the point you were making wasn't clear to me.



    In the post I quoted you indicated an "app" (in general).
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  • Reply 77 of 82
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,731member
    Ah, my typo, added "and" inappropriately and inadvertently. . . Gotcha.



    With that said and since you brought it up, are either of the apps I mentioned offering equivalent functionality?
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  • Reply 78 of 82
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    Hmm. . .



    I did spend a couple of years volunteering at a special needs school in Lake Alfred, Florida with my first wife. Is that what you're referring to? Still not clear how that associates with engineering.



    Perhaps your point was you don't see Android Market equivalent apps to your link? I don't know if Tap-toTalk or Voice4u, both available in the Android Market, offer the same functions or not. Have you tried either of them?



    I have no knowledge of your personal life -- so, obviously, I was not referring to that.



    The apps you mention have low or no ratings -- and no, I have not tried them.



    Proloquo2Go has 4+ ratings -- and according to the description is much more comprehensive than the others:



    Proloquo2Go





    When I first read about this app, it was in an article that discussed how it enabled a young 11-year-old boy to interact naturally with the outside world -- simple things as ordering his own food in a restaurant... or asking to use the bathroom.



    The boys family had an $8,000 pc-based solution that could do some of the same things -- but it was difficult to use and not mobile.



    This brought back memories from the early days of our Computer Stores -- where we helped train a young quadriplegic boy to use an Apple ][ with an apparatus that enabled him to press keys by blowing through a straw.



    A friend of my daughter teaches disadvantage children... and had submitted a proposal to buy a MacBook...



    Everyone in our home has an iPad and a SIMless iPhone -- they are always begging me to buy apps for them.



    I bought this app and installed it on all our iDevices...



    Then we sat down and we all explored the app, no one was allowed to talk -- we had to use the app.



    A very sobering and soul-searching experience...





    "I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet." -Anonymous





    We loaned an iPad containing the app to the teacher friend -- she changed the purchase request to an iPad.
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  • Reply 79 of 82
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,731member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dick Applebaum View Post


    Everyone in our home has an iPad and a SIMless iPhone -- they are always begging me to buy apps for them.



    I bought this app and installed it on all our iDevices...



    Then we sat down and we all explored the app, no one was allowed to talk -- we had to use the app.



    A very sobering and soul-searching experience...





    We loaned an iPad containing the app to the teacher friend -- she changed the purchase request to an iPad.



    The friend of your daughter working with disadvantaged children can probably use and appreciate all the assistance you have to offer. It's great to see you reaching out like that.
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  • Reply 80 of 82
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    The friend of your daughter working with disadvantaged children can probably use and appreciate all the assistance you have to offer. It's great to see you reaching out like that.



    Interesting... You and I disagree on almost every topic... except this -- the one that really matters!
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