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Again, I think this argument applies to a Hacker News crowd, not the general population. I have seen plenty of Android marketing and I can't remember a single m

Again, I think this argument applies to a Hacker News crowd, not the general population. I have seen plenty of Android marketing and I can't remember a single mass market ad that touted openness beyond saying that it runs Flash. Of course, Google employees have said things to that effect, but that is directed to a separate smaller audience. You won't find that on the sides of buses or on TV. I'd be surprised if more than 10% of Android users know it is open source or even made by Google. I'm trying to find the root of why iOS is more profitable for paid apps. In this particular case, I think it is overcharging for a fairly weak app, but I know this is a larger trend which I can't ascribe to an open platform bias.

jrockway 16y ago
I think the issue is developer demographics. When people write an app for Apple, they are in the state of mind that it's going to make Apple love them forever. God, erm... Steve Jobs... says so, and he is really cool. There is lots of eye candy to be had, and everything is a singular unified platform. You use your Apple computer, running Apple software to make stuff for an Apple phone that syncs with Apple iTunes. There is some zen in that that is appealing to the kind of developer that spends thousands of hours on irrelevant details that makes designers with blogs really like your app. On the other hand, there is Android, where the developers are barely-competent Java programmers that just want to make a few bucks off their weekend project. The reason for the difference is Steve Jobs. People love him, and he motivates them to write better apps. Android is the same-old-Eclipse that you use for programming projects that actually make money, and that's boring. (I don't write apps for either platform.)
dailyrorschach 16y ago
Sure. But 1. do we see any actual Android marketing on TV or media? We see marketing from the individuals handset makers, but very rarely, or at least I haven't from Google, for the OS, which makes sense in some light. Contrast that with a lot of the advertising that Apple does, it's not about the phone, it's about the software, experience, and the apps. In print ads, tv ads, etc there is an explicit focus on the content you can buy to create a better experience. I think that makes a difference.

jrockway 16y ago

I think the issue is developer demographics. When people write an app for Apple, they are in the state of mind that it's going to make Apple love them forever. God, erm... Steve Jobs... says so, and he is really cool. There is lots of eye candy to be had, and everything is a singular unified platform. You use your Apple computer, running Apple software to make stuff for an Apple phone that syncs with Apple iTunes. There is some zen in that that is appealing to the kind of developer that spends thousands of hours on irrelevant details that makes designers with blogs really like your app. On the other hand, there is Android, where the developers are barely-competent Java programmers that just want to make a few bucks off their weekend project. The reason for the difference is Steve Jobs. People love him, and he motivates them to write better apps. Android is the same-old-Eclipse that you use for programming projects that actually make money, and that's boring. (I don't write apps for either platform.)

dailyrorschach 16y ago

Sure. But 1. do we see any actual Android marketing on TV or media? We see marketing from the individuals handset makers, but very rarely, or at least I haven't from Google, for the OS, which makes sense in some light. Contrast that with a lot of the advertising that Apple does, it's not about the phone, it's about the software, experience, and the apps. In print ads, tv ads, etc there is an explicit focus on the content you can buy to create a better experience. I think that makes a difference.