Fragmentation's a red herring, eh, Google? We'd suggest you look at your own stats, where -- as of yesterday, anyway -- fragmentation was alive and well, no matter how you define it. In the two-week period of Google's data collection ending June 1, some 54.5 percent of devices in the field were still using pre-
Eclair versions of Android, a pretty sorry stat considering that it was released back in late 2009 and
xda-developers members have proven countless times that every Android phone ever made can run 2.0 and above with aplomb. To be fair, 2.1 picked up significant steam
since the last roundup and the trailing devices aren't entirely Google's fault -- manufacturers and carriers need to take most of the blame for the delays in getting upgrades pushed out -- but it's Google's wild development pace that has left this trail of premature obsolescence in its wake. Upgrades are good, but necessitating that your development community has its eyeballs on at least four versions of your platform (1.5, 1.6, 2.1, and 2.2) is generally bad.
posted June 2nd 2010 1:24PM
Here's the thing. If you're a developer, which version would you try to optimize your apps for for? The lowest common denominator, which is 1.5/1.6. With new devices are still coming with 1.x, I don't expect this will change anytime soon.
Same thing is happening on the iPhone in a less significant way, which is where game devs are focusing their apps on the iPhone 3G hardware instead of the faster and better GPU on the 3GS. Same issue also with Windows, as most software are tailored for Windows XP instead of utilizing more advance features available in Vista/7.
I say this as a programmer for 19 years(10 in the industry) and someone who has a Computer Science degree. This really isn't a big deal. This isn't any different than programming for Linux/Windows, I don't include OS X, because OS X is known to kill forward compatibility between point releases, so you can write something for 10.4 and when 10.5 comes out it no longer works. At lease something written for Android 1.5 still works on Android 2.2, which is where it really counts for devs. Its means the brunt of your dev is in bug fixes and enhancements going forward, and not hunting through API documentation trying to figure out what they replace X method call with and how the call signature is different.
I mentioned this in an earlier reply but I'll bring it up again, what about the idea that in a near future this kind of "fragmentation" will be the norm? Meaning you could go into a mobile device store or website and put together your device as you see fit. Pick your form-factor, hardware, software, carrier, and contract(or no none), and walk out with a truly customized experience that can be upgraded in the future when needed. It's done in PC stores everyday, just needs an open OS(Android) and some foresight. What do you guys think?
Chris, this is embarrassing. You didn't even take the time to research the quote you used. Quite obviously by the replies you may or not have read, it's worthless to bring up fragmentation. It's a red herring because of how Android works. If you don't understand the Android system, or how the different types work together, or what little problem it poses to developers and users, or what part the provider plays who messes with the UI, you should cease reporting on such things. Take some time off, do a bit of research, and come back with something worthwhile.
All 1.5 phones should've been on 1.6 a year ago just like there's no 1.0 phones around anymore although there's plenty of G1's still floating around.
That being said, I'm running CM6 (Eclair 2.1) on my old and slow MyTouch and thing runs smoother and faster than the stock T-Mobile 1.6 ROM it had when I first got it so I don't see any reason for manufacturers to hold on to 1.5/1.6 other than not wanting to invest enough $$$ for simple upgrades (most of which have been done and tested already by countless developers on XDA just for fun for the most part too)...
But the people that do care about stuff like that are running 2.1 and the people who don't care, well, they're running whatever they have but unfortunately the people that don't care about what version their phone is are who spend the most $$$ combined on phones and apps so I see how third party developers get the short end of the stick here (because Google or the OEM's surely aren't - their OS and phones keep selling every day).
You claim that 3 main OS versions floating around is "Fragmentation" yet if you compare an Apple iPhone OS release Adoption rate from last September it wasn't doing any better. http://metrics.admob.com/2009/09/iphone-os-adoption/
I am an iPhone user. Been one since day 1. I have a mac and an iPad. Ok now that you know I have a preference for apple products you can skip labeling me as a rabid fanboy.
I think that Android is a great platform. If I was not an iPhone user I would be using an Android like HTC incredible or the new SonyEricsson one. It is a great platform and OS for someone like me who knows how to jailbreak etc. When my father in law wanted to get a phone I suggested the iPhone. But he loves Verizon (who doesn't) so I told him to get the Droid when it came out. He got Eris. While I think it's a great phone and OS, he is frustrated. He has a love hate relationship. He loves the touchscreen and going online, but getting some apps and seeing they don't work, not having an app store through a program like iTunes is a point he always makes. Upgrading has been a pain, and recently when he took it in to Verizon to upgrade every setting etc got lost. That pissed him off. So, I look at someone like him or someone like my wife (iPhone user too), and they just want simplicity. I and those like me (aka geeks and commenters here) see it as laziness, and we scratch our heads wondering how something so simple is difficult for them. That is where Apple shines. They have made the UI and all its connective components (iTunes, App store) so seemless and easy that non-geeks feel comfortable with it. Thus this "fragmentation" that Android is accused of becomes a problem. It is a problem because people like them do not find it easy. For Andeoid to become a serious competitor to outpace Apple I believe they need to create a downloadable software like iTunes have their App store inside that and have Picasa integrated to work just as easily and well. Only then do I believe Rhat consumers will mo longer view iPhone as the de facto friendly UI. Better competition more innovation. I hope you don't label me as a fanboy now because that would just belittle your comment.
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I'm starting to notice a lot of fanboys are growing for android. Same thing happened when xbox was coming out how they just kept saying how much better it was. I noticed that usually the underdog (sales) has the most hatred to another device especially when there sales are growing quickly. Another big reason phychologically is ppl want to defend there purchase and ppl always attack the most popular dog (sometimes). Android is fragmented, the majority of non-fanboy thinkers agree just like engadget and gizmodo. Android is a amazing product and I'm happy they are growing with these great advances. It's making Apple inovate even harder (if they still can). APPLE was ontop for to long and I want something new.
Windows 7 only accounts for ~10% of Windows-based computers while Windows XP is more than 60%, if you ask me, Android 2.1 running on almost 50% of android based devices is a serious accomplishment.
Comparatively, we'd need Windows 7 on 45% of Windows based computers, and Windows Vista on the remaining 55%, since Android 1.5 and 1.6 are nearly identical to 2.1 anyway, and the other versions are inconsequential..
I bet if you make a pie chart showing how many Windows users are running XP, Vista, and Windows 7, it would look just like the Android chart, and those versions were released years apart. Probably at least a third or more are still using XP. By that standard, Android fragmentation would be no more a problem for devs than programming for Windows.
Fragmentation in and of itself isn't a problem, it's a feature. Newer devices have newer capabilities. If you wanted an Android phone every year instead of every few months from a variety of manufacturers, well, you would have an Apple clone. Android isn't an Apple clone, it's a growing and evolving platform. It's Windows to Apple's OSX. It's more ambitious.
The problems of fragmentation are a developer problem, not an operating system problem. Don't yell at Google if you have a platform issue, yell at the dev of your app. You're more likely to get a response.
Couting Android 1.1 as fragmentation is really not honest : there are no hardware stuck in 1.1 meaning if you're running 1.1 it's a choice !
As an employee of Telus Mobility, one of the three major wireless providers in Canada, I can attest that the choice to disseminate a new OS to a device.
The reasoning is that we have to dedicate manpower to testing that device with the new OS in any fashion conceivable, and sometimes that isn't an option.
For this reason, the Motorola Backflip may not see Android 2.1 or higher, whereas the HTC Hero and Motorola Milestone do (they're our flagship Android devices, so they get priority).
One of the big problems is that manufacturers of phones are STILL shipping brand new devices to the market with 1.x on them.
Google (who controls the marketplace app and the Android name) should forbid any manufacturer from shipping a new device or software update running Android 1.x
Google letting manufacturers ship Android 1.5 or 1.6 is like if Microsoft allowed PC manufacturers to ship brand new PCs running Windows 98.
Anyone who complains to Google for fragmentation is an absolute moron. Complain to manufacturers. Google is doing nothing but releasing new features.
But maybe they should stop that. Releasing new features -- YEAH, who wants that!
(The above was sarcasm if you didn't realize.)