I was very pleased to read Google's recent announcement of their App Inventor for Android. It seems to me that this is the latest in a series of announcements that demonstrates just how much Google values innovation at all levels. In another pointed example just two months ago at the keynote introducing Froyo at Google I/O in May, Vic Gundotra, Google VP must have managed to mention openness, inclusiveness and innovation just about every two minutes during the presentation! It seems that Google are making a big commitment that's very much in contrast to a certain other mobile OS vendor. They are putting up neon signs around their platform that shout out that all developers are welcome. 

One of the features that has slipped into Froyo that may not have garnered as much attention as some of the headlines, is the ability to draw directly into a bitmap from their native code interface. In plain English, that makes it much easier for native code platforms such as Rev to support Android with good rendering performance. There is no question that Google are looking closely at the detail when it comes to attracting as many as possible to the platform. 

App Inventor looks like a great way for new developers to get into the platform. It clearly has the potential to inspire a new group of non-programmers into developing Android apps. Some may argue that it could flood the Android Marketplace with "junk" and thus reduce the quality of the end user experience. Of course that's possible, but on the flip side I would argue that surely it's more likely that we can simply rely on market forces to weed out the good and the bad as happens in just about every other industry? Who is to say that one of these App Inventor Apps won't become the next killer app? 

There is a certain irony when you consider all of this in a historical context. I recall back in the 80s and 90s, Apple was the platform with the easy-to-use HyperCard programming environment that attracted non-developers and entry-level tinkerers, prosumers and enthusiasts, anyone who wanted to create their own software or get under the hood of their machine and learn how it worked. With the iPhone firmly closed to this sort of creative user it's great to see a new platform open up that positively invites that sort of innovation and learning. It's a major shift in the way-things-are-going-to-be during this next decade. 

I'd agree with those commentators who have suggested that many of those starting out in App Inventor are going to want to go on to learn a full programming language such as Java later. The key thing from Google's perspective is that those developers-to-be will all be very much into using Android devices. After having initially been attracted to the Android platform they are likely to stay there. That may not matter much to the more typical Android end-user just now, but as more and more high quality applications get developed for the Marketplace that has the potential to change. Apple should be worried. 

The final reason that I'm so excited by App Inventor is of course a little more self serving. Over the last decade we've watched many point and click programming tools come and go and we know they are great for getting people started and certain types of cookie cutter application, but users often outgrow them over time. I'm sure that Google knows that too and is expecting many to step on up to Java or another programming language when they want to do a bit more. However it seems to me that there is an excellent fit for a Rev for Android product here, as a more gentle step up to a fully featured programming language, without the learning curve associated with a language such as Java. We'll be watching App Inventor closely and looking for ways we might be able to interoperate with it in the future. 

All in all very exciting times. Stay tuned for more on our Android strategy soon.