Google's Android Market accepts price tags

US and and UK developers can now include price tags when uploading mobile apps to Google's Android Market, the Chocolate Factory's answer to the iPhone App Store. Google says that priced apps will go on-sale sometime this week - but only in the US. On Friday, with a post to the official Android Developers blog, Googler Eric …

[Anonymous Coward]

It goes to show?

Maybe it goes to show what a fickle bunch us consumers are?

Apple, Google, Microsoft, ... and downloadable applications seem to follow HP's iPaq model from a few years ago.

In a way I wonder if that just makes developers' work just a bit more difficult (anyone remember Adobe's Jamjar? Stunning stuff and probably way, way ahead of its time).

Maybe the major OSs will evolve to give "mass market, challenge us little" type mode and and a "here you go dood" super type mode (in this post linux does not count (well not yet anyway))

[Greg]

Bugger!

I thought paid apps were coming next month, but that might be for the UK. The app I made isn't ready! Best get it finished so I can make a few bob.

[Anonymous Coward]

@ It goes to show...

>Maybe it goes to show what a fickle bunch us consumers are?

Damn right - I should spend 1000s of hours developing and then give away my work to muppets like you!

What's interesting is that Google aren't taking a cut - in fact they are sponsoring several million $ worth of development where existing free apps have potential - aside from all the costly work around the platform itself and dev kits.

Meanwhile, Apple are putting their cash and attention into futile attempts to lock their platform - and threatening developers who dare to build apps which compete with half-baked official solutions or provide functionality people actually want but which detract from Apples hopes of revenue. Almost as amusing is MS, sat in the corner of the room, fingers in ears singing 'I'm not listening' - from a near decade headstart which should have made them unassailable.

MS and Apple need a cut at every level to sustain their model - Google just need users - and that's looking very good to me since 1.5 million bought the G1 which is a pretty flakey handset all-in-all (1 million had been flogged in 2008, causing no little consternation at HTC who were only working on the basis of shifting 500K by year end)

[Anonymous Coward]

Here's hoping

Maybe we can start to see some decent apps now. Don't get me wrong, I have installed some pretty useful apps on my G1, but if developers will now receive some money for them, we may see the benefits of a more professional attitude to releases and more featured apps.

There might even be some decent Exchange support coming, not the bodges of Touchdown or myth or Aardvark...

[Adam]

Google's Cut

Whilst it's probably a pretty modest amount, Google are making on requiring developers to accept Google Checkout.

Nowhere near as much as St. Jobs is taking but they are making a small amount!

[Sarah O'Neill]

now I'm paying attention

So with "Guitar Hero" comes a new cycle of all those developers that were holding onto their apps until they can get paid for them. The real potential of Android is about to get unlocked - I'm so excited! There's an interesting article here: http://www.atelier-us.com/mobile-wireless/article/android-market-launches-paid-apps-this-week