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I think the effect is real, but of course it's not as direct as this. Now that the iPhone has a viable competitor that's more developer friendly, it seems like

I think the effect is real, but of course it's not as direct as this. Now that the iPhone has a viable competitor that's more developer friendly, it seems likely that apps will start to appear first on Android, and then only later on the iPhone. I think that might effect consumers' perception of which is the sexier device.

Lazlo_Nibble 17y ago
Having a platform that's easier to develop, publish and distribute software for is only half of the "developer friendly" equation. The other half is having a user community that's willing to spend money on that software. Are there many Android developers who've been able to quit their day jobs and make a living from app sales? (That's a serious question, not a snarky one -- I don't follow the market closely.)
houseabsolute 17y ago
Seems like if that were going to happen it would have happened already, or we'd at least have seen some sign of a sea-change. Yet the ports still flow in the opposite direction (when developers even bother). Maybe because Android appeals to the spendthrift, and iPhone to people more open with their wallets? The other explanation is that iPhone is plenty open to developers who make the types of apps people want to buy, and closed only to the tinkerers who would not have been making salable apps anyway.
btilly 17y ago
Is the Android really more developer friendly? A very profitable application category on the iPhone are audible applications. That category is a nonstarter on the Android because Java latency causes noticeable sound artifacts.