Apps I would pay for & Rant

[CubeSHin]

First some background...I'm a Sys. Engineer and work with other engineers all day long. Almost all of us have smart phones including all the different flavored OS powered phones. This includes WinMo phones, Palm OS phones, Iphone, Blackberrys, and Android G1 phones. Of course we all gather around and compare our phones and the types of apps and things we can do with our phones.

Here are some of the Android/G1 apps that all of us consider GAME CHANGING or KILLER apps. Being that they are killer apps (once you see the list you will understand), we also believe they should fetch a fair price. Here are some of the apps and numbers we always throw around at work.

1. SlingBox or HavaBox client...$100
2. Tethered Modem without hacks (a straight up connection via USB)...$50
3. Limited Flash Support...$25
4. Full Flash Support...$50
5. Dual boot (WinMo & Android options)...$100
6. VNC client app...$50
7. VNC server app...$100

Now if these numbers are not enough to encourage devs to start making these apps (without having to severly hack the phone), then there will never be killer apps for the Android/G1. The market is young, and I'm willing to have SOME patience; however, some of the G1 users at work have already gone out and bought WinMo phones because of the things WinMo phones already do that the current Android G1 phone does not.

Also take a look here:
http://www.nvidia.com/page/handheld.html

If you notice at the bottom of the page, they are Windows Embedded partners...These phones are said to hit shelves mid-2009. Anyhow, just some food for thought.

So basically google...you should be pushing Devs to start making killer apps or kiss your market share goodbye. I want to see a linux powered OS like Android succeed and I love my G1, but the cards are seriously stacked against it.

And for all those folks saying they can wait for the apps...the Nvidia phones that are coming out are coming very soon (mid-2009)...so there isn't much time till Android gets blown away. Not to mention the Palm Pre (also linux powered) looks very promising.

[jordanjay29]

My first notion is that Flash support and VNCs are going to be tough to push as paid when Adobe makes their flash player free for any platform, and Open Source or Freeware VNC softwares are a dime a dozen.

Otherwise, TV streaming software sounds like that would be a good paid app. Dual Boot seems a tad silly, but I think it would probably be more expensive considering that WM itself requires a license and that would cost money.

If Google didn't act fast enough to add Google Docs support natively, I could see an office suite taking a chunk of the market as a paid app before GDocs could muscle back in.

[Pinesal]

anyone else think those prices are outragously high?

[CubeSHin]

If Adobe (or anyone else) created a flash player for android G1s and charged, I would pay. If someone developed a VNC app that works on my phone (server or client), I would pay.

Just becase they have free players for flash and free VNC software for PCs doesn't mean anything and has no relationship to apps for my Android G1. If someone developed an app that allowed me to render flash or run VNC on my phone I'm saying we would pay that dev for that app.

On the notion of WinMo needing a license, who cares? I'm not asking for WinMo, just the option to boot into WinMo or Android, which would be an app outside of a lincense requirement for WinMo (think GRUB here).

[CubeSHin]

anyone else think those prices are outragously high?

They may be high for some, but for a bunch of engineers that love gadgets and pushing technology to the max, it's worth it.

You have to remember the people that would pay these prices are the type of people that paid $400 dollars when the first cable modems came out. Paid $400 dollars when the first hand held GPS units came out. The same people that paid outrageous amounts of money for the first LCD screens that did HD. The same people that paid...you get the picture.

I'm saying that the first wave of people that would buy these apps WILL pay a premium and are completely willing. Once the app has paid for itself, the price obviously would decrease over time so the app devs keep making profits. It's like when a brand new game comes out and it costs $60 dollars. Then 2 months later it goes down to $30, and etc.

I'm just trying to get devs to realize they have a market ready and willing to pay premiums for initial release apps that are considered killer apps. Money is usually a huge motivator....

Imagine a VNC server app that could run on the G1. I could then run a VNC client from potentially anywhere, login to my phone remotely from anywhere, and then control its functions including text/calling/etc. To me this app would just be WOW and definately worth the price of $100 if I could get it RIGHT NOW.

[Mel J]

An app is needed to save your apps to the SD card!

[mark925]

There's already a VNC viewer.
http://code.google.com/p/android-vnc-viewer/

[cattrain]

http://code.google.com/p/android-vnc-viewer/
VNC viewer for free.

http://code.google.com/p/android-vnc/
VNC server for free.

If Adobe made Flash for Android, I don't have any idea why they would charge, they don't charge anywhere else.

[deserttopping]

anyone else think those prices are outragously high?

yes.

wouldn't it be better to sell 10,000+ units @ $10 each, rather than 500-or-so units @ $100ea?

i just don't believe the downloads at the steep prices you mentioned would add up. i could be wrong, but... ...and i'm not sure dropping the price after 2mos would make people happy, but again, who knows?

[CubeSHin]

http://code.google.com/p/android-vnc-viewer/
VNC viewer for free.

http://code.google.com/p/android-vnc/
VNC server for free.

If Adobe made Flash for Android, I don't have any idea why they would charge, they don't charge anywhere else.

You sir are my new best friend. Although they are still considered unstable and the vnc server link you provided is a little more of a challenge to get working, it's nice to see this is actually being developed for the android.

And about whether Adobe made flash for android...yes if Adobe made it for the Android it would probably be free. I'm just saying I would pay for something like that. Also someone outside of adobe could make it as well, and you know they would most likely charge. I'm not sure if adobe has Android for mobile phones on their minds yet...even WinMo phones have only light flash support.