A common quote floating around the blogosphere is as follows:

For some reason, Android isn’t interesting anymore, it reminds me of how Linux is doing right now; lots of hype, some people adopt it then not much care about its updates or news. Shame, I really liked what it was going to be, but maybe the long delays and slow updates are just making it not current anymore. [Found on an Endgadget comment]

Though I could point out at least 5 things wrong with that statement and perspective, its shows how the general customer thinks.
Yep, Android has some work to do before becoming a top contender in the mobile (note not mobile phone) field. If we’re looking at the big picture, you see that we as a people are becoming a mobile race. Therefore our technology must become mobile as well. Remember the day when the Desktop was fashionable? I rest my case. The same sort of transition will happen as we move farther and farther into miniaturization of hardware while maintaining maximization of performance.

So what needs to be done?

1. Regular schedule of updates.  Ubuntu has a nice system of doing this.  Every six months there will be a new version.  It will have innovative features applicable to your computing lifestyle. You as an end user can depend on that.  This is one of the many factors that lead to the popularity of this distribution of Linux.
2. Amass a body of developers.  Google needs a nice developer fanbase.  Along with the lackeys that are programming the actual operating system, they need to hire application developers for the Android platform.  Android goes nowhere without a base of developers.
3. More hardware please!!!  One phone is not going to cut it.  Android is not the iPhone.  People who try to directly compare the two show an innate lack of knowledge of Android and its mission.  (I hear the drone of restless droves of trolls and fanboys out there who want to argue this point with me. For propriety’s sake I shall limit my comment in that direction to save it).  Android is supposed to be a standard that works across a wide range of devices.  Lets see these devices already!  HTC has already proven, “If you make it, they will buy it.”  After all, the customer is always right!
4. There needs to be more advertisement of Android products.  Right now, you have to be somewhat technologically advanced to know that much about Android.  That needs to change.  T-mobile did a HORRIFIC job advertising the G1.  Go back to selling sidekicks to little girls at the lemonade stand guys.  Give Android phones to other platforms.  Verizon?  Care to step up and try to stick it to your former parent company, AT&T?  How about you Sprint?  Instead of pushing Nextel buttons, how about you push Android to talk?  Just a thought…
5. The Open Source movement needs to gain some more momentum.  Right now open source software as a whole is at a critical junction in its lives.  It is budding from being associated with kleptomaniac, love-struck, Microsoft  bashing ‘code hippies’ to being something serious, especially in hard economic times.  People are discovering that good code originates in places other than Redmond.  (if only they knew where that code was before it went through Redmond…)
6. You should help.  There’s no better way for Android to become a force that for you to use an Android device, write an Android program, comment / join and Android blog.  No matter how little, you should join the community.  That’s what open-source movement is about.  By our powers combined, we’ll make something beautiful.