It’s App Overload at CES!

Apps. Apps. Apps.

The two big topics at CES this year seem 3D and Apps. But app-mania (really app platform mania) seems to be a faster spreading disease than swine flu. And it seems liket every CE manufacturer has now caught it. We’re not just talking about apps on cell phones platforms like iPhone and Android.  Samsung, Vizio, Boxee, Roku, and even the Ford Motor Company. The real trouble with all of these new app platforms is many of them are all new platforms – incompatible with iPhone/Android. Are these companies really thinking that they can all attract thousands of developer to write to their API just because they said the magic word?

It seems like of CE execs haven’t been really thinking this out. There are a limited supply of developers. Many of them are already focused on the big platforms – iPhone and Android. There might be room for a couple more platforms. But not enough room for zillions of platforms. Having apps on more types of devices is not a bad thing. But it’s going to be confusing for developers and end users if there’s a different collection of apps and app stores for each and every device. And particularly in the case of televisions, can you really convince developers that app development is a good investment of time and money? Will developers have confidence that the TV app platforms will expand to the entire line? Will it catch on with customers who mostly want a TV to watch video programs and games? Will those platforms be around on the 2011 line up of TVs?

Instead of reinventing the platform, CE companies wanting apps on their goods should have looked to existing platforms. Reusing the Android OS would be the most obvious option – it’s open source and free to incorporate on any device. Then you get access to the whole existing set of apps.