Android :: No Streamlined Update System

I just posted this in the regular android discuss group but I do believe that developers should read this as well. This directly affects you as well. This first began with my personal experience, I have an HTC Magic and I'm at version 1.5 a friend of mine has a g1 while another just got a Milestone. The issue is one friend can't understand why one phone can see this app and another can't or why one phone can do one thing that another can't, Their both running android whats the problem (ex. The Milestone has maps 3.3.1 the G1 has old Maps 3.1). I'm getting tired of explaining that even though they are both androids one is more up to date then the other and there really is no way to update. Even "IF" you rooted the phone you have to deal with bugs and ports its ridiculous. Now I love Android and I want to see Android KILL iPhone and eventually Symbian and I DO know that this is not necessarily Google's problem but it is indeed a problem that affects Google and it's users wanting to get the full Google Experience. I recently read a PC World article stupidly titled Android doomed to self destruct which I do not believe and its at this link: http://www.pcworld.com/article/189969/google_android_is_doomed_to_sel... but I realized that I am not the only person that sees this. Today there is an article on Slashdot as well as 2 on infoworld. We need to fix this at least some kind of update system that does not rely on manufacturers or at least forces them to act. Devices are releasing today with android 1.6 and if I research I'll probably find a few releasing 1.5. HTC is still pumping out Magic's with this old firmware, it's just getting very messy all across the board. Is there any suggestion as to what can be done at least on paper, any ideas?