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Android Market shows hand at 100k Apps

But how many does a girl need?

One hundred thousand apps are to be had on Android Market, Google declared today.

"One hundred thousand apps in Android Market" it wrote on AndroidDev, the official Twitter feed aimed at...Android developers.

Google has taken 20 months to reach this landmark while, Apple needed sixteen - and last week Apple revealed the App Store had topped the 300,000 apps. This is perhaps unsurprising when you consider the differences.

Developers find it harder to cash-in on App developments and Android Market only offers paid apps in 32 countries, compared to 90 in Apple's case. The unfamiliar purchase platform in Google Checkout may have also hindered growth and appears to be no match for the simplicity of iTunes.

However, Apple's strict review process that slows the time-to-market should be a boost to Android, where developers have greater freedom to market their apps. It's obviously easier to be noticed among 100k than 300k and Google is also rumoured to introduce an official feature that will make in-app purchases possible.

With Android on the rise and increasingly used in a multitude of devices, the future looks positive, but without a standard platform for development and tons of different Android handsets, can it successfully bridge the gap with Apple? Does it even need to. After all, how many apps does a girl need?

How many *useful* apps?

The number of apps available is pretty meaningless considering the huge amount of trash on the Android Market (as I'm sure is the case on the other platforms). Do people really base their decision on how many apps are available, or the presence of good quality apps and/or recognisable brand names on a given platform?

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AppBrain

If you haven't already - Try http://www.appbrain.com to search for things

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100k apps

100 useful ones only!

Seriously, the app market is a great feature but if they do not revamp it then we are just being swamped by all the trash apps out there. It is beyond frustrating looking through the android marketplace for decent apps, yes you can find them but sheesh, you would think Google could design some decent search and sort features as they are supposedly experts on this kind of thing.

In its current form I hate it. Gingerbread update might come with some new and improved marketplace features but I doubt it.

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That would be

SnoBall 9 - one of the many great adventures from Level 9.

Yeah it was a bit annoying that all the rooms were the same, but it made up for it with great humour. If you examined the gown you wear at the start it says: "a light gown that ties up at the back. It fits you like a second skin - possibly a hippos"

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How to buy a phone

1) How easy is it to make PHONE CALLS?

2) How neat and easy is the contact list for PHONE CALLS?

3) How quick and pleasant is it to surf the web?

4) I need an app for X, Y, and Z. Are they available, and for how much (preferrably free)?

5) How much space can I cram into it for doing non-phone things (i.e.: watching a movie while on on the tube).

Others might include a 6) Friend awe factor, and might even classify it as #1, but I'm sensical and plan on using any poundage/pocket space on my person for actual useful objects.

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