Android vs iOS

The first app I am releasing will be for Android.   It is somewhat embarrassing, but I do not own a smart phone.  My cell is almost an antique and it is rarely charged or in my purse.   Thus I haven’t been very familiar with mobile apps.  My husband got an iTouch for Christmas a few years ago, but it was his, and I didn't use it much.

However a couple Christmas’s ago I got a Nook  Color.  I had been using all my willpower to resist buying an e-reader.  I got most of my books at the library and did not need an e-reader.  But every time I would open Amazon they would be harassing me—Kindle, Kindle, Kindle.  What I really wanted was a mobile device that I could read books on, but also have access to the internet so I could read blogs and message boards.  Then Apple came out with the iPad and I was going to ask for that for Christmas, but I was bummed about the large price tag.  Then Barnes and Noble came out with the Nook Color and I figured that would be perfect.  I could read books, check e-books out from the library and read the internet.   (Too bad Amazon didn’t come out with the Fire a year earlier.)  When I got it, the first thing I did was root it, and the next obvious step was writing an app for it.

Android is more accessible for me.   I do not own a Mac and thus I cannot develop for iOS.  If I had had any forethought when I replaced my PC a few months ago I would have got a Mac and dual booted it with Windows, but honestly the thought never occurred to me.   My hope is that I can make some money with Android apps to justify investing in a Mac for iOS development. 

As for market comparison, my impression is that the apps available on iOS are of overall better quality, and it is easier to convince iOS customer’s to pay for apps.  I am hoping that a good app should stand out more on Android.  Ad revenue seems to be the method of earnings on Android, but I will be writing apps for kids and do not feel ads are appropriate in those instances.  I am hoping the paid app model will work out for me, especially with the launch of the Kindle Fire, but I have an ad revenue idea as well.  We’ll see if it pans out. 

I think iOS is where the edutainment market is at.  It seems that many schools are purchasing iPads.  I have a couple edutainment app ideas targeted towards older kids that I think would do much better in the iOS market, but I’ll tackle that later.