Google Developer G1 loses paid-app access

[Chris Davies]

Google has blocked access to paid Android applications to the very people who most likely would have vested interest in accessing them: developers using the officially-sanctio... Read more

[RaQHoliday]

This sounds like a pretty stupid and half-arsed choice of how to prevent the spread of pirated applications. I'm fairly disappointed in Google on this one.

[EssFerret]

What a joke. This leads me to believe that they aren't interested in making it possible to put apps on the SD cards. Not a very well thought through process.

People that want to pirate are going to pirate anyway. How long til someone buys the app on a "approved" phone and then just posts the app for people with "unapproved" phones to download and put on their phone? How does the market do anything to protect the file in this case?

Just let go! People will pay for the apps that they want and will not pay for the apps that are overpriced and undervalued. It's so stupid to think that people are going to be tricked into buying crap apps just because they have closed the market off.

[Derrick]

I agree with the rest of you. Very poor choice for Google. As said this clearly means Google does not plan on allowing us to save apps directly to our SD card. Root here I come

[logoutreally]

Both 'free' and 'paid' apps could be marked 'copy protected' when a developer submits it on the market.
So, even free apps that were once available previously are no more visible to ADP1 (dev phone) users since recent changes.

Google certainly needs a much better way to 'copy protect'. Developers who have spent $25 + $399 + $tax (+$shipping +$duty) must not be given such a low priority though the t-mob g1 users certainly out number them. Such a policy would only prevent the growth of genuine developers base.

[Ronnie2228]

well there are still paid apps on the market now so how long will it take for this to happen and does this mean the paid apps will be free now?

[jzerocsk]

The really sad part to me is that one of the reasons for delaying the full release of the Market was so they could figure out a way to secure the application binaries.

6 months later, their "solution" was to just "hide" them elsewhere in the file system with no additional security? That was the best they could come up with???

[WebWiseWoman]

Originally Posted by jzerocsk

The really sad part to me is that one of the reasons for delaying the full release of the Market was so they could figure out a way to secure the application binaries.

6 months later, their "solution" was to just "hide" them elsewhere in the file system with no additional security? That was the best they could come up with???

Not knowing who's controlling this (G or TMo), and other issues that are ongoing (such as my stereo BT), is anyone else coming close to throwing in the towel?

I have been faithful to HTC and TMo since buying the original Pocket PC in 1999 or 2000 and have NEVER been so disappointed, both with lack of what should be considered "standard" features for the type of phone our G1s were promoted as, as well as lack of response.

I still don't know why I should have to invest $50+ for a fugly extended battery & cover to do everything I bought this phone to do. Not asking for days treking in the outback. Just web, text and a few calls during the day!

Add to that that some reps provide unlock codes and some don't (my 3rd call did the trick for me), I hate to say it but I'm losing faith in TMo. And my love for Google is being severly tested if they can't protect their rep in whatever agreement they have with Tmo.

Okay, rant's over; falling off my soapbox, but this developer "lockout" issue just pushed me over the edge (no, not the network ...

[EssFerret]

I don't know if blaming Tmobile for this is up the right alley... Since the billing doesn't come through Tmobile and the Market is android market, not Tmobile Market.

The only DRM that works is the Steam model. Android already requires a username to use the OS, so just tie the app down to that username, which is tied to checkout. It's not so hard.

[rockanon]

I'm all for Google protecting the revenue of App developers for Android. Protect the developers, grow the market. If there's issues with pirated .apk's by allowing dev phone owners access to them, then simply plug the leak.

I will say that the unsuspecting, no-harm-intending dev phone buyers that ARE getting screwed on this deal should consider calling Google or putting their phone up on EBay to try to swap it out for a regular G1.

Simply stated, it's a Dev phone, not intended for regular users. There was risk in the purchase and now that risk has shown it's ugly face. There are plenty of developers who'd like to own a Dev phone.