Mobile Platforms

I have recently started listening to the What Now? podcast (www.whatnowpodcast.com). It has me thinking about the different mobile platforms there are to program against. The main contenders are:

• iPhone/iPod Touch
• iPad
• Android Phones
• Android Tablets
• Locked down Android Tablets (Kindle Fire, Nook Color and Nook Tablet)
• Blackberry and their playbook tablet
• Windows Phones

I have a developer’s account that allows me to test and release apps for iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad.  I have an iPhone 4, an iPad 1, and multiple iPod Touches.  I do not have any of the other devices (except my son has a Nook Color). I am not going to develop for Blackberry or Windows phones. I will develop for the iOS devices, and maybe port to Android devices if it seems economically feasible.

I have started development on a few iPhone apps, but have never released any. I have a few ideas for apps that may be viable, but I haven’t fleshed them out yet.

But what I got to thinking about is what they call “Binary” apps on the podcast. These are apps that sell maybe one copy a day. A good day would be two copies. I can understand not wanting to spend any more time on improving an app that has that little sales. I don’t understand removing an app from the app store that is selling. One of the guys on the podcast said he removed apps that don’t have much in sales. I would leave it there. Every little bit adds to the bottom line. It doesn’t cost you anything to keep selling it.

Maybe it’s the difference between full-time and part-time/hobby developers. Full-time developers need to make enough in sales in order to pay their mortgage and put food on the table. I have a full-time job that takes care of that, so anything I develop and sell is extra. Would I like to come up with the killer app that pays 3x what I make being an employee? Of course, but I also realize my chances of doing that are about the same as hitting the lottery million dollars jackpot.

Right now I am a hobby developer. I say that because I spend more than I take in from software development. My goal for this year is to get a paying app published in the App Store.