Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

Firstly, mods, feel free to change the title to something less flame-bait-ish if you like.

Obviously the amount of applications on Maemo compares in comparison to the amount of those on either Android or Iphone, and it has already been argued that Maemo potentially produces higher-quality apps, but that's not what this post is about.

The question is quite simply: When a user asks the community (i.e., not software development companies) to create an app to fill a void, are either of those communities as receptive as ours?

More than once I've seen someone complain about lack of support for a given feature on Maemo (the N900 specifically) when some humble user spring into action like Superman and fill a void that would have otherwise remained empty indefinately or remained empty for no measurable amount of time. Prime examples include FMMS, VertSMS, CallBlocker, and recently this script that allegedly allows you to set ringtones for caller groups.*

Is the ecosystem of Android/IPhone comparible, or are users more prone to just wait around updating their stores periodically until a suitable application comes around?


*There are countless more options, but these seem to be the most prominent examples. There have also been ports or apps that provide functionality for niche markets that have sprung into existance out of simple requests.

Re: Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

Is there something like "Android Community" or "iPhone Community"?

Re: Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

I know android has something...the name isn't blatently obvious though...googling...

[edit]
found it

Re: Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

are there poor catalogs and sofware restrictions like the n900 has? i dont think so.... 6 mounths later and still waiting 4

videocall
javame (decent)
hard reset and more not considering the low manufacture of this n900 my god!!! i payd to much to have rootfs full off memory, and 32 g for documents and mp3 buaahahahahahah.... i ll trash away my nokia and i ll buy one android phone.

Re: Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

What's stopping you?

Re: Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

i m waiting new android phones... keep quite that nothing is stopping me...

Re: Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

** sigh **

I should have known nothing constructive could have come of this. I'm down-voting my damned self.

Re: Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

Are you being serious?
xda referred to O2 XDA, one of htc's first creation which was an OEM order from O2. It ran WinMo...

They have a productive developers community, but it's not by any mean specific for android or originated thru android ties...

Re: Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

ysss: however, a lot of people at work swear by the site who run android phones. I never said it was official; I also happen to know how to read:

"...the largest Internet community of smartphone enthusiasts and developers for the Android and Windows Mobile platforms. "

Note to self: Be very careful of words, because there are those who are bound to be pedantic.

Re: Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

http://developer.android.com/community/index.html

I think there is no need to compare, we have a long way to go IMHO to beat the giants no doubt about that, and those who downplay them are plain stupid naive IMO , but at the end of the day the spirit is what matters in a community :) , as long as you enjoy staying here, enjoy using/developing for the platform, its all worth it !

Re: Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

Thanks, but not quite what I was after krk969. I suppose http://androidcommunity.com/forums/index.php would have been a better example, but to be honest, I don't ever hear anyone talk about it.

Re: Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

I think it's more to do with the fact that the N900 has an OPEN operating system rather than Android where the OS is actually closed (most of it anyway!).

The thing is that ANYTHING you want to on the N900 is pretty easy to do (apart from the really complex stuff like Video calling, portrait mode etc. etc.) from the command line.

So ultimately it's stupidly easy for a developer to write a script for the N900 to do something, and then some other developer will turn it into a .deb and upload it to extras-devel and we can have a turn around of 7 days or less!!!!!!! Imagine that - asking for an feature and having it delivered within 7 days! Thats ****ing awesome

Re: Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

That's the thing: Many things users would like from the community to be implemented can only be done by modifying the respective Nokia program's source. The problem? The source for that program is nowhere to be found.

Re: Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

I am aware of XDA wherein the major focus has been towards WinMo devices but I believe they are also into Android now a days

Wld love to have a peek into an iphone community, merely to see their notions on the N900 or other nokia phones....or rather if the hate feelings are mutual ?

or As with Apple's way of doing things, Is the community 'paid' to join ?

Re: Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

It's a bit of an unfair comparison as the Android and Iphone dev communities have a far larger number of active developers, many times higher than we have here. Coupled with good tools and learning resources, the barrier for developers to get involved and take on new requests is not so high. Added to that are large app store portfolios which make these new and novel app requests more welcome and likely to be picked up.

In comparison, there are a fewer number of developers on here looking for something to do. You have to be more dedicated to work on the n900, a lot of these guys are already committed on their own projects.

I've been on a few threads were someone has come in with application requests and they've been basically called a ******, told to go buy an iphone, or asked if they want a coffee maker along with their RSS feed request... :rolleyes: Sigh.. that doesn't help :(

Re: Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

I think that iPhone users fall into 3 major categories:

• ones who just use it as a phone (most of them are unaware of any communities, cause they don't need them)
• geeks like most of N900 users
• and trolls - the most laughable category.

Usually some apple trolls wander into our Russian community forum and start a topic saying that he bought N900 and how he is disappointed 'bout it. He might not own neither iPhone, nor N900, but used his friend's iPhone and got brainwashed.

Re: Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

You payd to much? Buaahahahaha?


Seriously?

Re: Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

That's the #1 Android 'community' site, the rough equivalent to this one. An active forum, but only maybe half as much as this. I wonder why that is so since obviously there far more Android users than Maemo. I can only guess it's because most Android users aren't as tech-oriented, less likely to ask questions or generally fool around with their phones.

If they were more tech-savvy so to speak, they'd probably start looking for an alternative to Android.

Android developers seem to have a fairly low tolerance for ordinary users coming to sites like xda and crying about how they want this or need that. Has to be a reasonable, well thought-out request. Can't say that I blame them. In the early days of Android you couldn't do much with it and the noise level about lacking features was pretty high.

Kinda like around here...

Re: Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

No doubt they have many more developers. So has Windows.
But the question was about the community.

Re: Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

My post was kinda made in regards to the development community, as the thread was made in regards to application requests. Imo, if you want to see something developed then it's the developers in that community that hold the key. YMMV :)

Re: Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

Yet, the question remains - do these developers form communities?
I doubt so.

Re: Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

Right, the original question had nothing to do with the speed at which applications are developed or the number of developers, but more the ecosystem in which applications are incubated. Here, there just seems to be an organic feel to the programs developed. I didn't know if things were similar on the Android or IPhone front, or if people just waited on apps to spring into existence.

Thanks for the constructive answers so far (those that are in fact constructive).

Re: Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

In the iPhone circles... I'd say no outside of the Unity3D circles. Those guys are a tremendous network willing to help out others and some serious games have come from that platform.

It was looking like the Adobe sector was gearing up for the same thing with Flash CS5 being able to output for the iPhone OS; however we all know how that ended.

The bad thing about the iTunes Store ecosystem though is that if you share an idea publicly, somebody will take it, give you zero credit and monetize it and make money off of your idea. To me, that's why I like Maemo better... at least it's a community of folks willing to share the credit and the ideas... and work load.

Re: Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

Yea... I am young here but I don't remember when I saw the community like that last time, such active and a so much fun around,

I can't disagree in this case "Nokia connecting people", seems to be true :)

Re: Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

It could also be the fact that most of the app ideas or features lacking on the Nokias are simply already available on the Iphone/Android OS. You really do not need to make requests for features or applications if they already exist on the platform. As noted earlier, the dev tools and obstacles seem to be lower in the walled garden that is IphoneOS. That being said, the amount of apps available, while a lot being useless or a gimmick, are there. Is there an application/tool that exists on the Nokia that does not have a functional cousin on the android/IphoneOS? Now ask yourself the same question in reverse. The community and requests exist because the shear amount of functional apps just do not exist. Blame the number of users and developers, whatever you want. But the only way to get users and Devs is to have a product that people want, and expand the OS in usability instead of scrapping the OS and starting new every few years. Diablo cant upgrade to Fremantle, Fremantle might not go to Meego.... By doing this you are splitting the already stretched out Devs, and making them either stretch further, or simply abandon an OS to make for the latest and greatest thing out.

Re: Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

I have difficulty separating these from each other, but my apologies for being de-constructive in your thread.

Re: Is the Android/IPhone Community as Receptive to Application Requests as We Are?
 

I would like to note that being constructive has nothing to do with having an opinion that differs from the OP. My comment wasnt directed toward you kojacker.

To try and help clarify, Im trying to find out if andoid users and iphone users are as collaborative as we are when it comes to ideas evolving into real applications. Kind of like maesheep maegym and maecalories did.

No one is disputing the fact that the platform lacks cohesive documentation or polished tools- though the qt sdk might be a good start.