Android ‘Code Day’ with Google - My random thoughts …
February 24th, 2008 by Scott Janousek
(3 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5)
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Yesterday, I allocated some R&D time (what essentially amounts to some personal time on a Saturday) to attend a Google Code Day event on Android.
I had been following the initial SDK release since last year, but honestly, I haven’t really made any serious commitments to this very (let’s face it), emerging mobile platform.
Rather my time has been spent on other platforms that have some viable business models … like Flash Lite, and other arenas.
So with that said, before reading further; it should be duly noted, this attendance was strictly based on my own personal curiosity rather any serious commitment to this particular mobile platform (at this point in time).
The Event
Luckily, at this event, we had 2 really great presenters: Rich Miner. (VP Mobile with Google), and Jason (a Developer “Advocate” - sorry, I have forgotten his last name) … both of which did a great job at explaining the platform on both a high level (essentially, a platform overview) and lower level (programming level: SDK, core concepts, APIs, etc).
Rich Miner - VP of Mobile at Google
Here are some of my (very high level, random, and brief) thoughts on Android and this event:
Attendance
First, attendance was in the hundreds. Decent for a platform that has yet to be on a real shipping handset yet (… sorry, prototypes and breadboards don’t count in my book)!
Of course, out of those hundreds, I was really curious who was actually already doing mobile development and/or in the mobile industry … and those that were there simply for what I like to call: the “Google Factor” (aka the Android Challenge, aka $). It was hard to say.
However, given the Q&A that occurred at this event, it was pretty clear that there was a large contingent of hard core (Java) developers at this event … and also from the hardware end of things which was kind of nice to see.
(Mobile) Designers, on the other hand? Not so many, in my estimation … just a guess, though.
To me, if you are going to be touting a “better mobile experience” on your platform, you better be attracting that camp … I didn’t see that at this specific event. Granted, it’s perhaps too early to see this crowd enter the fray.
Android seems to be catering to really hard core developers (and not necessarily even mobile ones).
One half of the event room … You can play ‘Where’s Waldo?’ here.
New M5 release
So, if you were not aware … “M3″ was apparently their first official public release that occurred late last year. M5 is the new release they put out recently.
After hearing about the changes, and some of the API’s … I was really struck by how feature rich they are trying to make the platform right off the bat … especially contrary to the fact they want it to run across low end embedded devices.
With M5, it’s a real shame they actually did not demonstrate (even in the emulator) any of these capabilities at the Code Day.
Instead, the day was broken up into two lectures, and then time to spend working/exploring with the SDK (although because there was no quality Wi-Fi at the specific location (due to no fault of Google) … this idea kind of fell apart at the end).
Over all, though … it was insightful to see where everything is at.
A Developers, not Designers platform (yet)
In glancing around the attendees, I was hard pressed to find any designers that I could recognize. Not that it is “easy” to tell, but I would have imagined I would have found at least some local native Bostonian designers attend the event. Not so.
Everyone was either on the hardware end of the spectrum, or programmer spectrum.
But, all in all, this is to be expected, given the toolset Google is providing thus far with their SDK … it’s a stalwartly programmer’s environment, to be sure.
Show me the … handsets!
Recent prototypes were shown at MWC 2008 recently, and there have been some others dabbling, but a real shipping handset we probably won’t see till later this year.
Right now, developing for the platform consists off testing within the Android emulator, only.
Goggle was talking about estimates of billions of handsets within a few years time, which sounded quite familiar, actually. 
However, since we don’t even have a single one on market, there is much work to be done from not only Google, but everyone in the “Alliance”.
But again, after MWC, one has some expectation of what we might see later this year.
No Demos … WTF?
This was particularly odd. Mockups and slides do not make a compelling user experience. Actually seeing UI and apps would have made the event much more useful. Perhaps, the current google demo apps are “stale” in these presenter’s eyes … Hmmm.
Surely, among a reported 750k SDK downloads … there must be a handful of quality mobile user experiences produced from the early adopters … or does this just support my point of “Developers, not Designers” point above?
Or … perhaps, everyone is being very very secretive on what they are doing for a.) the contest and b.) any products/services they are planning? Perhaps.
Still, it’s very early with the SDK … so I imagine it’s better to show very polished work rather than prototype apps.
Flash (Lite) for Android?
Is it possible? I don’t see why not. Is it plausible? I don’t know. Talk to Google and/or Adobe.
However, to me, after attending this event, the idea of Flash running on top of the Android stack is an interesting one.
Obviously, to Google, they wanted to maximize the development community and keep it open, so they choose Java as their mobile development weapon.
However, coming from a Flash background, I could really see a lot of potentials for Flash on Android … A post-processor to output for Android, perhaps? Hmmm.
Also, it is interesting to note that with the current development environment (working within Eclipse), would be a familiar way for those doing Flex work to get into mobile …
I were Adobe, I’d have Android on my whiteboard.
Summary
Indeed, Android is going to be an interesting mobile platform for embedded devices. Whether it will be a big splash or a little splash is the question, and when, remains to be seen, IMHO.
However, if anyone can bring an open mobile platform to market; it has got to be Google.
For now, I am concentrating my efforts elsewhere … where the tools are more evolved … there are viable business models and prospects, and where I genuinely have the most fun developing for mobile both personally and professionally.
For now, I am focused primary on Flash Mobile, and other more tangible areas of mobile …
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February 25th, 2008 at 12:44 am
thanks for sharing your thoughts.
February 25th, 2008 at 11:52 am
Flash on Android is definitely possible. In fact, Flash Lite has already been ported to similar Linux environments, so its just a matter of time before Flash Lite makes it to Android. The real question in my mind is how stable is this platform? Given the fact that there were no demos tells me that something is not quite right yet.
February 25th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Anand, yes. You are probably a good person to talk to you about Flash Lite on Linux … I know of only a subset of devices … Chumby being the most prominent that I work with directly and can talk about publicly.
Yes, stability … my guess is that everything is a mess but will get better with time.
A further question for me was if anyone could at anytime pull out of the Alliance. What would that mean for Android … say if a major investor “pulled the plug” on their commitment?
Also, it was talked about that some OEM’s might want to have a “CLOSED” version(s) of Android … to me this spelled fragmentation. Obviously if they were talking about this at the seminar, then it’s more than just a remote possibility … sounds like a company in the Alliance has suggested doing just this!