Ahhh, android, I somehow just missed that on my list.

Yes, the toolchain is verstile, and you can run it almost on anything. What puts me off android is the requirement to use java
I like to code in c, python, shellscripts... I see it as a limitation that you should only use one lenguage/environment.

But yes, android is not the worst environment to build to.

About the bit of ecosystems, the importance of that is paramount to the device/OS manufactureres who control the shops that people use to buy the applications. See like microsoft is trying to get into the game, first nudging people towards their app store model in windows 8, later surely enforcing it when there is enough momentum.

For the people who develop apps as their main income, that is of course nice, it's easy to get your SW there and after the lions' cut the app store takes there is still something to put bread on the family table.

I write code (amongst other things) as my job, but "users" never see any parts of my work even though I belive that every day you use a functionality I have created. At least I hope it's totallyt transparent, as otherwise it will end up as a bug report on my table sooner or later

For the code and applications I write as a hobby, I have never been paid a cent. (except when I was in college more than three decades ago... I used to get free beers for writing other students homework) That's fair and OK as for a hobby you would rarely expect to gep paid anyways.