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Zeichick’s Take: What, exactly, is Android?


By Alan Zeichick


 Alan Zeichick
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October 14, 2011 —  (Page 1 of 2)
My mind is filled with little green robots... who are they, and where are they going?

This week, I attended O’Reilly Media’s debut Android Open conference, a “big tent” gathering that brought together a wide swath of the open-source ecosystem—from game developers to marketers, from chip manufacturers to venture capitalists. It was an interesting and enjoyable conference, a good place to think about launching an Android-centric business.

Coming up soon, of course, is our own AnDevCon II, which is a larger but more tightly focused conference dedicated to technical classes and workshops on Android development. (Gratuitous plug: It’s Nov. 6–9 in the Bay Area. See www.andevcon.com.)

But back to Android Open. Talking to speakers and attendees, there was a universal concern about exactly what Android is, and what it’s becoming under Google’s direction.

On one hand, it’s pretty clear: Android is an open-source operating system for phones and tablets. Handset makers get a consistent firmware and user experience, while giving them room to innovate and differentiate. Carriers get predictability and a smartphone that they can sell, customize and monetize. Developers get a big enough platform to sell their wares, and more flexibility than they get from Apple.

Google benefits from its investment in several ways, including:

• Commissions on apps in the Android Market.

• Opportunities to bring customers into its cloud ecosystem, such as with Gmail and Google Apps.

• And lots and lots and lots of places for advertising.

Android, however, is widely viewed as a whole lot more than a phone and tablet platform, and as more than an app and ad delivery vehicle. For example, it is viewed as a promising embedded platform. However, because Google can’t benefit directly from embedded development (no apps, no Gmail, no advertising), the company’s position and support are ambiguous at best.

Even within the handset and tablet spaces, the Android user experience and app-store experiences are fragmenting fast. I have two Android handsets: an HTC Evo and a Motorola Atrix. The user experiences are quite different, and on some handsets they even vary from carrier to carrier. Don’t expect an Amazon Kindle Fire to work like a Barnes & Noble Nook Color, and don’t expect either to be like a Samsung Galaxy Tab or a Motorola Xoom.


Related Search Term(s): Android

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