Application store will most likely appear in Android

It's looking like Google will do what it can to provide an application store on Android-based handsets (see that "Market" icon above?). As project lead Andy Rubin mentioned at the Google I/O developer conference, "It would be a great benefit to the Android community to provide a place where people can go to safely and securely download content and where a billing system would allow developers to get paid for their effort". So, two things of note here: 1) He wants to avoid malware and untested apps bricking people's phones, and 2) Google would like a little side action on your transaction. Given the open nature of Android, we fully expect many people to find all sorts of random apps online in the dark alleys of the Intertrons, but a sanctioned store like this seems like a no-brainer for those on the straight-and-narrow.

[Hellios @ May 30th 2008 8:59AM]

I kinda dislike the name Store for something that is free. And it better be free.

[Beastage @ May 30th 2008 9:03AM]

Lol... free... you dont create a billing system for free apps.

Everyone are off their bloody senses with expectations for android, I'm not...

This is going to be a cash milking cow for google and the makes/cell companies.

[Hellios @ May 30th 2008 9:16AM]

lol paying for open sores...

[booticon @ May 30th 2008 9:30AM]

You have no idea what open source means, do you? You ever hear "free as in free speech, not as in free beer"? While developers are welcome to release their applications for free, and most people do (including *Google*), the GNU GPL was written as such that people can still make money off of free software.

Are you getting it now?

[Phoenix @ May 30th 2008 9:38AM]

Yeah, it would suck to pay for having open sores wouldn't it. I prefer my sores to be free. i save my money for the treatment.

[Katie @ May 30th 2008 11:02AM]

What I wonder is whether Google's Android Market (or whatever it ends up being called) will also be available to distributors of free applications, or if it only makes sense in a "developer collects money, Google takes a cut of that" fashion.

Personally, I'm hoping this will be more like a user-friendly package manager with support for non-free(-as-in-beer) software purchases and fully open-source app downloads as well. Imagine something like a hybrid between a software marketplace and, say, the app downloader (which is a rather full-featured package manager) currently available for cracked iPhones.

[telepheedian @ May 30th 2008 9:01AM]

I don't like the reference to a store either, but I do like the concept of a repository for software, a la installer.app.

[Craig @ May 30th 2008 10:50AM]

Yep...as long as there are BOTH a sanctioned venue ("store", whatever) AND the ability to load up anything your sick, little heart desires onto your Android phone, that'll be good. Having to limit yourself to JUST a store would totally suck...I mean, who would put up with that? Oh, riiiight...

[Katie @ May 30th 2008 11:08AM]

Well, there will be no limitations on installing your own software. (There wouldn't even be any benefit to this for Google, because the whole draw of this platform is going to be the massive number of awesome apps (see Breadcrumbz for my current favorite example) available for it... And many of these will likely be both libre (free as in speech) and gratis (free as in beer). Not only that, but since the entire system stack is OSS, removing any such limitations would be trivial and in short order everyone would be using the resulting version.)

In fact, I'm willing to bet that if Android's Market doesn't offer distribution for free apps, an installer.app for Android will be close behind it.

Actually, the Android SDK is so awesome, I'm going to start on one right now just in case (and for fun!). *fires up Eclipse*

[jefffaucher @ May 30th 2008 9:18AM]

Why do people expect software and applications to be free? Do you not realize it takes time and effort to write this stuff? Why should they not be compensated for it? I don't get it.

[Mile @ May 30th 2008 9:22AM]

Don't blame us - Goog started it by giving away everything free. I think they make their $$ on volume.

[maff @ May 30th 2008 9:29AM]

replace 'volume' with 'ads'

[Eddie W @ May 30th 2008 10:05AM]

We actually don't expect everything to be free, but do expect that if it's open source there are a large number people who will develop free applications for it. Also, the open source community is used to be scorned by traditional corporate developers who won't release their software for Linux.

Sure, they can charge for proprietary 3rd party applications and I'm actually glad that this will be the case, because I'd love to see traditional corporations start to think that an open source OS is a viable platform... but, this doesn't mean that there won't be a ton of software that does the same thing developed by people who just love open source software.

[TareX @ May 30th 2008 11:54AM]

It's as simple as that: Apple made it for free, so Google -the mother of all that is free- won't?

It is free. Actually, it IS in Google's bets interest to monitor the incoming traffic of applications, and exclude those who brick the phone. Android's reputation is what's on the line.

So they'd be making much more millions with people just knowing Google has system like that out there.

[iEye @ May 30th 2008 9:23AM]

Yet again, Apple has all others imitating the iPhone, and now the App Store... Pathetic.

[chezzo @ May 30th 2008 9:28AM]

What, so Apple invented the concept of a shop now?

[Larsen @ May 30th 2008 9:29AM]

Isn't Apples App Store just the official version of the Installer App? So who's imitating who?

[Ender Wiggin @ May 30th 2008 9:31AM]

No necessarily....
Android is linux and linux has had repositories for a long time. It's just that so many users are accustomed to the Windows method of downloading an executable and running it that when Apple introduces repositories for mobile phones it seems new and revolutionary.

[fred @ May 30th 2008 9:34AM]

iEye, seriously, is your who shtick just to play the stereotypical Apple wing-nut who spouts off cliched phrases in order to see how low you can get ranked? if it is, then some of us would like to be in on the joke too, but if you are for real, then you really need to get some help.

[telepheedian @ May 30th 2008 9:42AM]

If you want to take it farther, the app store is a ripoff of installer.app, the debian package manager, the red hat package manager, emerge (in a sense, although there's no on the spot building), and pretty much every other package management system ever created.

[Surur @ May 30th 2008 9:58AM]

The idea is ages old. Try Handango Inhand as an example on the WM platform thats from 2004.

http://www.handango.com/client/demo/intro.html

[Steffen Jobbs @ May 30th 2008 11:25AM]

@iEye
Those Apple-hating turkeys low-ranked you because you were spot on. Pay them no mind. Put them also on your list of the pathetic.

Much of the media is in agreement these handset companies are imitating the iPhone down from the shape of the case to the icons to the larger screen sizes to touchscreen. It may not be entirely true, but it is often said. I think that's the reason why they're called "iPhone killers". I've never seen any handsets called "BlackBerry killer" or "Treo killer" or "N-95 killer" In general, the media continues to say that in the smartphone arena, the other companies are trying to catch up to the iPhone. You can read that anywhere even on non-Apple sites. So why are you being accused of spouting Applefied BS? I guess they also believe the current smartphone explosion was due to some grotty WinMo-powered handset. That's not what the media says. I give BlackBerry due respect because they are the smartphone market leader at this point in time. By this time next year I honestly don't they will be in first place.

So let these people press their low-rank buttons 1000 times which proves absolutely nothing except the fact they know how to click a mouse. Bring it on because it makes the comment stand out more.

Debian and Redhat??? Oy vey.

[w @ May 30th 2008 1:38PM]

nokia had a software store app (Nokia Software Market) years before the iphone.

[chezzo @ May 30th 2008 1:39PM]

@ Steffen
If you actually read the replies, you'd see that they were reasonable answers to the ludicrous claim that Android is somehow copying Apple by having a repository for software, something that has been done a million times before, even on mobile phones (pretty much every network provider has some kind of store for buying games and apps).
Instead you just see the terms "debian" and "red hat" and attempt to make fun of them since you have no idea what they mean.

[AlexNC @ May 30th 2008 9:34AM]

Imitating the iPhone? How about the iPhone imitating the PC? This is all just one big circle. Phones are finally starting to become powerful enough to push the individual programs. SO, as soon as the iPhone allows users to have two programs running at once, will they be copying Android? No. Electronics are always evolutionary - where each company learns from one another, allowing for great future products for consumers.

The great thing about Android is that it is pushing everyone to be more open with their software and devices. Verizon, ATT, Apple and everyone else will soon have to treat their phones like an open PC, allowing users to install anything they want to. If it wasn't for programs like Android and hackers creating items like Jailbreak, we wouldn't even be having this conversation right now. Google is definitely pushing the cell phone industry forward with forcing these apps on the bigger companies.

[mingistech @ May 30th 2008 9:49AM]

The iPhone can already run 2 (more) apps at once. I can keep the music player running while I surf the net in MobileSafari and have a timer running in the background as a reminder. (just an example) and the phone portion is running to... because when I receive a call music pauses... safari hides... and i'm presented with the callers info... if i reject the call... music resumes... browser pops back up and i'm back to what I was doing.

People that think the iPhone can't multitask don't know the iPhone that well.

and yes... i know Apple plans of limiting multi-tasking to only 1st party apps.

[packetsniffer @ May 30th 2008 9:59AM]

@mingistech
Sounds exactly like Palm OS when you describe it that way. Hmm. I thought Palm OS couldn't multitask either?

[Shakespearehad Itright @ May 30th 2008 9:31AM]

The idea of a phone-based icon-linked online store is probably patented by someone so we can expect to see legal fireworks over this, huh?

[Katie @ May 30th 2008 11:23AM]

Hey, I patented the notion of a snarky patent-war prediction in a comment thread. I wants muh royalty check!

[solere @ May 30th 2008 9:52AM]

I think the market icon refers to the Stock Market

[retro77 @ May 30th 2008 10:48AM]

The stock market doesn't have a shopping bag associated with it.

[john @ May 30th 2008 9:57AM]

Hopefully the "Market" will have:

1) an OpenSSH client
2) a VNC client
3) a VNC server would be cool (if it can fully control the phone)
4) an RSS reader
5) if the base platform only has GoogleTalk, then a full IM client (Yahoo, AIM, MSN, full Jabber, IRC) (and I'm kind of disappointed that they've separated IM and Messaging on the icon list; they could have rolled them together into one program/interface)
6) if the base platform doesn't come with an IMAP client, then an IMAP client
7) similar for a basic note taking app
8) similar for a basic sketch/paint app
9) similar for a basic "todo list"/"task list" app

I think that would just about cover my interests.

[Eddie W @ May 30th 2008 10:12AM]

One of the cool things with Android is that all of the applications are replaceable. I'd expect that someone will merge the messaging and IM together into one messenger application.

I'm also looking forward to VNC. I use it to remote control a computer serving up music to my stereo.

[Titanium man @ May 30th 2008 11:52AM]

I THINK APPLE SHOULD BE HAPPY THAT GOOGLE IS IN THE RACE . It means there will be no standardization in mobile phones os like with windows, with google, miscrosoft, symbian fighting eachother and if they have the best product they will become a major player in mobile phones.

[bill @ May 30th 2008 6:07PM]

Since half of your list (basic office apps) are already provided by Google Apps, I would say your wish list has a very high possibility of coming true. While I know that Google will try to make a huge impact in the consumer market via media applications and the like much like the iPhone and others. I would be willing to wager that they also know exactly what coveted market the iPhone has yet to succeed in. The business sector is currently dominated by Blackberry and to a lesser degree Windows Mobile, surly Google has its eyes on this prize.

A solid internet connection could provide access to all of Google's web based applications and possibly their forth coming Offline Web-based applications in the near future. This would place them in direct competition to with Blackberry and its MS Exchange friendly environment at a much lower cost in infrastructure for the end users. This could pay off particularly well with the small business sector that has no place trying to own and maintain an Exchange server and or cut the costs incurred with a hosted Exchange environment.


Also in responce to this topic. I would bet that most of the linux users here that have posted that the market icon is some sort repository search are on the right trail. I do not however believe that it will all be open source free ware. I would be it would be a mix of good solid freeware along with more polished paid wares. Now im sure this might upset a few of the penguins out there but lets be fair about it. Linux and open source are great it you don't mind putting some time into it. But this would go against the idea that business oriented people are looking for in a wonder device. It needs to work and it needs to work easily for your everyday user. This is something that most all open-source apps lack. But hay they're free right so no bitching allowed.

These are just my opinions, so take them as you will.

[Paul6 @ Jun 1st 2008 12:17AM]

@bill

i disagree that open source projects do not work reliably. this is simply not true. it depends on the project. there are some projects that are poorly coded and crash...but the same could be said for closed source projects. and just to name a few good open projects: firefox, audacity, the gimp, blender, open office (although i like MS office better), 7-Zip, thunderbird. and those are just some i have on my vista machine. my ubuntu one would have a longer list, of course.

[retro77 @ May 30th 2008 10:47AM]

It would also be cool to be able to through an idea out to the programming community and then pay the people that created the app for you.

[Mile @ May 30th 2008 10:49AM]

http://www.rentacoder.com/RentACoder/default.asp

[retro77 @ May 30th 2008 10:53AM]

Mile: you are very efficient at Google searching. Grats.

[Steffen Jobbs @ May 30th 2008 10:52AM]

It's good Google's calling their store the Application Store and not App Store. Otherwise it would seem like they're just copying Apple. I'm glad that's cleared up. Apple might have copyrighted that App Store terminology and I'd hate to see Google get sued.

I hope Google doesn't use the term "Multi-Touch" either. I hear that magical copyrighted term is locked up by Apple. Tsk, tsk. They can still use "many-fingered-touch" or "multi-digit-touch" or "multi-touchy-feely". Those terms seem just as approriate for both Google and Microsoft.

[retro77 @ May 30th 2008 10:54AM]

lol @ multi-touchy-feely

[Kaddy @ May 30th 2008 1:12PM]

I love how we're supposed to think you have an unbiased oppinion when your screen name is "Steffen Jobbs"

[Don @ May 30th 2008 1:58PM]

I love Google and can not wait to see what they come up with.
BTW they will make money on the phone by just annitiating the idea and of course following through with it. Pure genius. They come up with the idea make everyone else do the work making apps and hardware while they slap their name on it, use there on own marketing tools to sell it then rake in the cash. If it is not too big or expensive I am all over it

[HIHO @ May 30th 2008 2:04PM]

Android is Google way of dominating the future as more and
more people r going mobile there r less people at there desktop

this is away for Google to continue making money aka ad revenue

open source or not it will still be Google and there will be most likely
some kinda of corporate tie in at some point


one of the big reason why verizon is not jumping all over android is
this very reason as open as they claim to be android
still locks u into Google and its practices thats y verizon is
favoring limo aka Linux mobile over android


so yes u probable pay for some apps other will be true open source wile
other will be some kinda corporate add product


i still like android my self and will probable wait for limo to see
what the have done before making my choice

[bill @ May 30th 2008 6:25PM]

Instant failure!!!

Sorry I couldn't resist using the term.

In truth The Big Red V's decision not to play with Google on this matter stems more from the fact that Verizons definition of open standard and Google definition of open standards seem to be at odds. Dont be confused by the fact that Linux is being used. The fact is that Verizon wants final say so on what apps are loaded on the phone and thus its networks. How do you think Verizon would feel if were to load Skype on your handset? Google wants phones to be just a device that gets you to their services much like a PC tower. Imagine if you will that your ISP all of a sudden decided they wanted to tell you want type of applications they will allow on there internet pipe. (Well if your a CoNcast customer I guess you already do) The teleco's would love to have us believe that allowing devices that run any app of the users choosing would break their ever so fragile networks. MaBell use to sell that same pitch, but look where MaBell is now. (SHIT thats right MaBell is now known as AT&T and selling you that line with your iPhone) Wow that a strange coincidence.

[Reid @ May 30th 2008 2:55PM]

Google following Apple's pioneering lead of offering an all-in-one convenient stop for phone applications?

Or Apple paving the way for other soul-sucking corporations to lock down your toys and limit your choices?

you decide.

[NickWar @ Jun 1st 2008 3:50AM]

Gooooood idea