News 

Android Market is described as a "an open content distribution system that will help end users find, purchase, download and install various types of content on their Android-powered devices."

And in a clear dig at Apple's tightly-policed App Store, Google says it will give developers free rein to publish their applications on the Market. "We chose the term 'market' rather than 'store' because we feel that developers should have an open and unobstructed environment to make their content available," says Eric Chu, group marketing manager for Android, on the <

ADVERTISEMENT

Android blog.

"Similar to YouTube, content can debut in the marketplace after only three simple steps: register as a merchant, upload and describe your content and publish it."

Apple has come under fire for removing applications from its store, such as a tool that allowed laptop owners to use their iPhone as a 3G modem.

Rating apps

The danger of letting anyone distribute apps is separating the wheat from the chaff. Google says it will implement a YouTube-style user rating system on the Android Market to help users make informed choices.

Google admits, however, that a system for collecting payment for applications might not be up and running by the time Android phones start to appear. "Developers can expect the first handsets to be enabled with a beta version of Android Market," says Chu.

"Some decisions are still being made, but at a minimum you can expect support for free (unpaid) applications. Soon after launch an update will be provided that supports download of paid content and more features such as versioning, multiple device profile support, analytics, etc."