One thing that has done, which Google and other app store challengers need to do as well, is to make app development so easy that anyone with a little programming knowledge can crank out an app. The reason there is an 'app for that' for anything you can think of is that virtually every company has developed a custom app of some sort to connect with customers and get some marketing mileage at the same time on the iPhone platform.

Another advantage that Apple has with the iPhone, though, is platform consistency. While there are a few different models of iPhone and iPod Touch available, the hardware itself and the version of the iPhone operating system in use are consistent across the board.

Many people take issue with how controlling Apple is of all aspects of its devices. Apple closely maintains the hardware, and the software, and third-party developers have to jump through hoops to get apps approved for the iPhone. The bottom line, though, is that Apple's proprietary, closed platform is part of Apple's recipe for success.

Developers for Android are faced with a different versions of the Android SDK in circulation, and an array of devices with different features and functions. The fragmentation of the Android platform complicates the development process and poses unique challenges for Android developers that iPhone developers don't have to contend with.

As Google continues to adapt the Android platform and SDK's, it is going to have to address the issues developers have with the Android Market. More importantly, Google must provide Android developers with the tools they need to simplify app development and ensure that apps will work across the various Android software versions and diverse hardware.