Impressions of Google’s Android Market web store - better than the App Store?

Well that took long enough, didn’t it? More than two years after the launch of the first Android device (the fondly remembered T-Mobile G1), Google has supplied a means to buy and download Android apps from your computer.

The new desktop-based Android Market is more than merely an App Store rip-off, despite the obvious influence.

It bears the evil-hating fingerprints of its parent company throughout, from the stripped-back design to the browser launch point and its seamless use of the cloud.

If this is an Apple clone then it’s an Apple that’s been skinned, chopped, stewed, and added to ice cream to form a funky codename-friendly dessert.

As with almost every Google initiative ever, the desktop Android Market has been launched with functionality first and foremost in mind. As such, it does all of the key things it’s supposed to do while feeling every inch the version 1.0 that it is.

After initial accessibility problems, as every Android fan in the world hopped onto their computers simultaneously to check it out, it’s now settled into a commendably smooth experience. Navigation is a familiar mix of established Android categories (Featured, Top Paid, Top Free) and bold new high-res art.

On the subject of categories, perhaps the most glaring omission is the lack of a ‘New’ filter option. Regular users will be frustrated that there’s no way to keep track of apps added by date. Considering there are third-party websites out there that have added such a search function, we’re more than a little puzzled.

Still, the fact that even the mediocre on-device Android Market has a Just In search filter suggests that there’ll be something similar along soon.

When it comes to the shopping experience, the desktop Android Market really comes into its own. Signing up is a remarkably effort-free process, and if you’re a Gmail user you’ll probably find that it’s been done for you. Android Market has been absorbed into Google’s ever-expanding suite of web services alongside the likes of YouTube and Picasa.

You can purchase an app with just a few clicks. As well as the usual payment confirmation requests, you'll also need to specify which device you want the app to download to, if you have more than one. Google has seen that the future involves multiple portable devices (the tablets are coming), so has made it easy to divert your app accordingly.

Even better than that, the desktop Android Market knows which of your devices can run each app, so there should be no accidental purchases of incompatible games.

Purchase complete, your app will start downloading on your phone instantly. No cables, no sluggish sync processes. It really is very impressive, and will leave you wondering why competing services aren’t doing the same.

All in all, Google’s belated desktop app store debut is a triumph. There are a few rough edges - some unsightly (the slightly ugly front end) and some glaring (the lack of a New search filter) – but there’s nothing that can’t be addressed fairly easily.

The important parts – the speed of the browsing experience and the ease of buying and downloading apps – are all there and working remarkably well. In fact, I’d say they’re working better than iTunes.

Like Apple, Google needs to figure out a way to improve discoverability as the number of apps on its store increases, which it’s already started to address with a permanent Tweet button on each app page. Incorporating social networks is certainly one way to spread the word about a hot game or app.

We’re cautiously optimistic that the apparently solid framework laid down here, alongside Google’s willingness to listen and make changes, will allow the desktop Android Market to flourish.

Now, about that on-device Android Market…