I've suggested this for discussion on a few Android related blogs and yet to see this get any talk time. Android needs a style guide. In kind of a bad way. While it's seeing a lot of up take and it's gaining ground on market share it's headed for a bad spot if Google doesn't take some steps to clean some things up. I'm not saying everything needs to look and act the same every where but having a mostly common UI for things I think would help the uptake of the platform immensely. For example if they simply released some suggested guidelines for how far away from the edge of the screen is good/best for button elements to be or standardize common locations for common buttons e.g. File, Edit, View in the Windows world.
I'm not saying Google has to crack down on it or anything but may be put a system in place similar to the way they maintain the OS and offer a 'Google' stamp if programs meet the minimum style standards or something. That way I always know how to find the settings for a program and I get to feel at home even with a new media player. Comfort and familiarity play in to usability as much as originality and style.
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