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Its also a real example of how the Android intent development model has been of real benefit. Any application can use the barcode scanner as if its a part of that application. Some share wifi access points by QR code. One claims to create a paypal payment request QR code and there are many others.

Android users can use QR codes in, business cards, paypal, posters, products such as coke cans, many transport networks in Europe and Asia etc etc all provide QR code support. In this regards Android is the only one that’s not a goldfish bowl.

The other problem is the Microsoft tag only muddies the water with another tagging system instead of adopting the already widely used QR code.

Symbian was the first to provide QR codes on mobile phones however the Android community was the first and still only community to adopt them.

It doesn’t really matter how long the technology has been available if it’s not being used, whether it’s cyrket, tag, or QRcode.

Even more built into Android is when share a contact you can share by QRcode. When scanned by another phone adds the contact to that phones contacts list.

This is a feature that Android has been providing since version 1.0. The reason this is only coming to iPhone now is because only the 3Gs has an autofocus camera. This disproves the Android fragmentation myth showing infact the iphone market is more fragmented. Check if this works in a 3G, check if augmented reality apps work on a 3G. There is a reason these applications are being developed and pioneered in Android.

Then you further reasoned that this was probably why iPhone games where not ported to Android or why there was a poor selection. However Homerun Battle 3D one of the iphones most graphically intensive and popular games was ported Android but not the Palm Pre. EA games are constantly releasing games for Android such as Monopoly and Tiger woods golf. Hopefully command and conquer next.

Your example of Google Maps is flawed as Google maps is not part of Android its a third party application. The reason Google have not supported 1.6 with new features such as buzz is not because of of an api limitation but because they intend to roll out Android 2.1 for every device in the US meaning a G1 will support all new apis. Though you also contradicted yourself claiming its too late for a 2.1 update for the Hero as its old hardware. Even though the device you have the Hero was only released on sprint in October 2009. That’s a mere 5-6 months ago. Any person with a G1 will have next month a device with Android 2.1. Thats a device that will be able to use all Googles services and will be missing no hardware relevant to the OS and its apis. This cannot be said of the iphone where the 3gs adds a digital compass enabling improved navigation and compass apps. Auto focusing camera allowing barcode scanning, OCR and both together augmented reality apps. None of which will be possible on the iPhone. The Google experience is less fragmented that the iPhone and next month will be even less so. Google cannot win if you say they should update a device that is out of date can they.

The other myth about Android and fragmentation is the screen resolutions. However Android uses fourth generation UI development in much the same way as XAML and the new Windows phone series 7 will. That is the UI is in a markup language with forms size and position using layouts etc rather than absolutes. Done properly this removes the screen resolution problem. Fragmentation on the basis in WM was due to bad development more than anything else.

It’s not just hardware that causes the fragmentation, it’s the OS versions as well. Android 1.5 lacks features that are available in the newer versions of Android. I would image to be able to use these new features, new application programming interfaces would need to be implemented into the SDK. Since older versions of Android may not be able to use these APIs, developers may have to limit some features of their apps so they can run on older versions of the platform (or create two different versions). One example would be creating an app that might want to use some of the newer features of Google Maps. Now you did hit the nail when you mentioned the hardware as a part of fragmentation. I see that currently on the webOS with the Pixi and Pre. The Pre and Pre Plus devices can run 3D accelerated games, while both the Pixi and Pixi Plus currently cannot.

As far as installing apps on storage cards, I was referring to installing the main app on the storage card. I have not seen that as an option unless you root the device. I can understand installing files on the storage card that the app may use, ie GPS Maps, but I don’t believe it’s possible just yet to officially install apps on the storage card. Well at least I don’t see an option when I download apps in the Market on where I want to install them.

I’ve used Android for a little over two months and was just talking about my experiences from switching from webOS to Android and then back to webOS. The device I am using is the HTC Hero on Sprint. I know it’s not the best hardware out there, especially comparing to the Nexus One or Droid. However the fact that it’s running Android 1.5 keeps it out of the loop of the true Google experience.

Please take of your iPhone glasses and at least either do some proper research or get someone who knows what they are talking about in regards to Android on the show.