Is the Market Droid specific?

For a while I've been interested in the game Bonsai Blast. It shows up on both Androlib.com and AndroidZoom.com (with comments close to today's date), but if you try to find it on the Market (even using the QR Codes) it doesn't exist.

Doing a quick search on another forum, it said that the developers can't get to work on the Droid. Some of the posters said they can't find it on the Market while others insist that they just saw it.

I'm wondering if when I find something in the Market, it's supposed to work on the Droid, but if it definitely won't I can't find it. Does that make sense?

The Market is for Android, not necessarily Droid specific. That's why you need to read the comments, usually if it doesn't work on Droid someone will say so.

I'm no expert, but I will venture to say that yes "most" things in the market will work on the Droid. The only obstacle that I could see would be that if a particular app isn't optimized for Android 2.0 or above, or maybe said app was developed to work with a trackball. Don't quote me though, this is just a guess. :blink:

The Market is supposedly limited to apps the developer lists as compatible with your OS version and (even more supposedly) certain major hardware specs (like screen type/resolution).

Many apps meet these limited requirements (ie 2.0+ compatibility and not definitely incapable of running on the DROID's screen resolution) but will still not run properly on the DROID. Sometimes this is because the developer incorrectly lists version or resolution compatibility and sometimes because the issue that causes it to not run properly on the DROID is outside of those limited parameters.

As mentioned above it is supposedly OS specific but that still leaves a lot of issues (screen resolution, CPU speeds, misc drivers ect) that can interfere with programs. All the more reason that Google needs to abandon the totally 'open' mess that is the current market and bring some sort of reasonable organization.

Until then here's Bonsai Blast, can't remember where I got it but it's legit (and updated). Enjoy (it works great on my Droid, proper resolution and screen size, just rename if from .zip to .apk and send it to your Droid).

Thanks! :icon_ banana:

It installed great. It was just odd. I mean, go to the Market and enter Bonsai. Nothing, Nada, Bupkis. But go to either site in the first post and it's there, with comments. I just had a feeling that the Market app on the Droid was set up to detect "Droid" in the specs of any app (not in the description). Sort of a checklist the designer uses to enter what phones work. Droid wasn't checked here so it didn't show up.

Nice little game. Thanks.

This problem has nothing to do with the open nature of the market it is all about developers lack of access to the hardware to test their apps and the limitations of the SDK's emulator for testing. Buying the Dev Phones is expensive and the selection is very limited (I think only two HTC handsets have Dev Phone versions and none of the other manufacturers have made special Developer handsets). Setting up the SDK emulator requires very good knowledge of the hardware of each phone you want to develop for. OS compatability is a bit tricky sometimes as certain system calls are changed between different revisions.

The openness of the market is what makes Android so different and appealing to many people and what makes Android appealing to many developers precisely because it is so open, unlike Apple's iPhone App Store.

The "appeal" to the open market will turn quickly into disgust if things aren't brought under control. While the ideals of such a thing are a novelty to early adopters and other 'techy' users like us for the AVERAGE user it means NOTHING. They want (and EXPECT) thing to work and could care less why they do or don't. Bringing a sense of control and reason to the market does not mean abandoning the 'open develop" philosophy. Anyone is still welcome to develop for the system(s) but they should be held to at least marginal standards.

As to the developmental barriers that's all the more reason there should at least be some sort of optional or "confirmed working on" or similar certification for devices. Android is coming to a LOT more phones and it's going to get even worse.

That is exactly why they have the rating and commenting systems, why they provide contact information for the developer and why when you uninstall an app they ask you why (with the option of it's defective/it doesn't work). And why The developer doesn't get paid if you uninstall within 24 hours. If an app gets enough complaints it gets pulled.

And all of your assertions about 'closing' the Market have nothing to do with the OP's problem which was a compatible app NOT being listed in the market which was likely caused by a developer being overly cautios about certifying his app as compatible.