talkmagic.co.uk

I’m now going to display (even more of) my ignorance on matters technical!

There are many threads and references here to iphone apps, the vast range available and I’m aware that there are also many similar apps for Android phones. The question is this: why are so few magic apps available for Android and how difficult is it for the innovator(s) to convert an iphone app to an Android version? Are we talking the same sort of differences between Xbox, Wii and other machines? Is it just that the iphone market is seen to be much bigger and therefore more lucrative therefore more effort concentrated on that version or are the processes so different that it's too time consuming to produce two versions?

It's because the iPhone is better. Android is like buying the Lidl's own brand version....

Points and laughs at the silly Apple Ifan

I imagine before it's compiled the source code probably the same so can't be a big job to port apps.

Games tend to get ported over, and it's actually cheaper to develop for Android but I think magic is sticking to the iphone for a reason.

Android is an open system so various makers of phones apply their own look and feel. This can cause a problem in so far as magic is concerned because a magic app is like a gaff card, the gaff card is not presented as such, it's presented as a regular card. Similarly iPhone magic apps (the ones I've seen at least) are usally designed to look more or less like the home screen of the phone.

With an android phone it would need to be able to look like the home screen of the phone it was on, and even then it wouldn't be much of a convincer because the public is less aware of what the android homescreen of any specific phone should look like. as such the entire act starts without that layer of normalcy (I hold in my hand an ordinary phone....)

Also the types of people who do magic close up enough that you need to look slick professionland well to do, or they need to look hip and stylish, both of which are more accurately portrayed by the iPhone.

Also more money than sense. I hate smartphones. Give me buttons and a non-touch screen any day.

-Stacy

The only magic app I have used is iForce, which is good but then anything with technology involved is unmagical as the logical train of thought points to the device and as most people know "these things are clever these days".

It does give me a sense of joy when a friend of mine sees a new app I have, loves it and searches for it on his Android phone only to find you can't get it. Android is the Betamax of smart phones....

Lord Freddie wrote:It does give me a sense of joy when a friend of mine sees a new app I have, loves it and searches for it on his Android phone only to find you can't get it. Android is the Betamax of smart phones....

I imagine your friends enjoy basking in your smug demeanour at that point too.

Grimshaw wrote:

Lord Freddie wrote:It does give me a sense of joy when a friend of mine sees a new app I have, loves it and searches for it on his Android phone only to find you can't get it. Android is the Betamax of smart phones....

I imagine your friends enjoy basking in your smug demeanour at that point too.

No, they look forward to when they can get their next upgrade!

Lord Freddie wrote:It's because the iPhone is better. Android is like buying the Lidl's own brand version....

You are partly correct. Android is like lidl's own brand version. Considerably cheaper and almost identical to it's more expensive counterparts.

Heckler wrote:I imagine before it's compiled the source code probably the same so can't be a big job to port apps.

iOS (iPhone) apps are written in Objective C, Android apps in Java, although there are ways to write once and compile to the two different phones

The simple reason is it's a bigger and better known market, so you'll more likely get more money on the Apple store; but to be honest I'm surprised there isn't more magic apps for Android as it's cheaper (and in my opinion easier) to make Android apps

Thank you for all the responses, I admit to only understanding a small percentage of your replies (apart from Freddie’s which come over loud and clear!) but I get the gist of the information. It does seem to me to be a bit daft to ignore Android users for any apps, it’s a valid market and once the iphone market gets saturated the Android market will suddenly become far more attractive, farsighted entrepreneurs may want to get in well before that happens…...

spooneythegoon wrote:

Lord Freddie wrote:It's because the iPhone is better. Android is like buying the Lidl's own brand version....

You are partly correct. Android is like lidl's own brand version. Considerably cheaper and almost identical to it's more expensive counterparts.

And lasts half as long...

Apple products, from the design to the over arching concept fills me with apathy. Boring, bland, and takes advantage of people with more money than sense. I am willing to bet there will be an iphone 5 before the year is out. As well as another ipad. I also predict some kind of Ipad Jnr too.

I would say the vast majority of apps are bought for vanity. OOooh look, I can play the bongos on my phone now. Brilliant.

I would suggest you make a list of what you want out of a phone first, then see which provides you with "it" the most. I tried out one of those Windows 7 phones today, and I thought they were lovely. By far the best screen i've seen on any phone. Plenty of sites that'll review and list the available apps.

All magic apps look hokey to me. Surely the bottom line will always be "ok, so you have something special loaded onto your phone...well done."

Amazing. I work in a phone support call centre for a mobile phone company and I feel no direct leaning towards either iPhone nor Android. I may own a HTC Desire, I may own a Mac, but I have no specific techno-political leanings.

Now, back to using magic to impress a lady that likes me...

Duplicity wrote:Apple products, from the design to the over arching concept fills me with apathy. Boring, bland, and takes advantage of people with more money than sense. I am willing to bet there will be an iphone 5 before the year is out. As well as another ipad. I also predict some kind of Ipad Jnr too.

I'm trying not to take sides here, but I genuinely find it interesting that you find Apple design boring, usually I hear that they're pretty but too expensive or that it's all style and no substance

If you get a Windows phone, I'd like to hear what you think about it after a few weeks of using it. I've never used one for longer than a couple of minutes, but heard they're pretty good

Mandrake wrote:It does seem to me to be a bit daft to ignore Android users for any apps, it’s a valid market and once the iphone market gets saturated the Android market will suddenly become far more attractive, farsighted entrepreneurs may want to get in well before that happens…...

I couldn't agree more, They're both big markets and it seems silly to ignore one completely!