The SDK for Android is free. It runs under Eclipse, which is also free. Ease-of-use by platform, in descending order: Mac, Linux, Winderz.
Macs automagically find all Android devices connected via USB. Linux may need a wee bit of tweaking in /etc one-time in order to get a device set right and recognized as an Android device. Winderz devices require a driver from the device manufacturer. (Probability of being able to use a cheap generic Chinese tablet: epsilon)
All you need is root access (I believe) and a USB connection in order to install new apps from your computer.
The Amazon Android App Store is $99/year, which they're waiving for the first year.
https://developer.amazon.com/help/faq.html
Claimer: I've written Android apps and deployed them to a cheap Chinese tablet from my Hackintosh. I've watched the SDK fail to find it from Winderz. I haven't tried it on Linux, although I installed the dev tools without problem on Ubuntu 10.4 LTS.
On Thu, Nov 17, 2011 at 7:53 AM, Kelsay, Brian - OCIO-ITS, Kansas City, MO < brian.kelsay@kcc.usda.gov> wrote:
Well, you will always have the expense of a computer to develop on and usually for the tools, but I believe there is a free dev kit SDK for Android that is multi-platform. As far as the cost to post to the App Store or Android Market, $100 for an acct is a pretty low barrier to entry and it is a barrier to spammer scum. Albeit a low barrier, but a barrier non-the-less and I believe that a person has to prove who they are somehow. I find that the cost, the proving who you are and the rating system keeps most of the troll jackasses out of the game.****
If we just had a SEAL team to hunt down virus and malware programmers… Hey, I can dream, can’t I?****
Brian Kelsay ****
*From:* *On Behalf Of *Jack *Sent:* Thursday, November 17, 2011 12:20 AM *To:* Richard Allen; kclug@kclug.org
*Subject:* Re: KCLUG Digest, Vol 87, Issue 4****
Yes, that was my original feeling, when doing my own searching.****
Well, I guess our final project will be an Android game App. Seems to be a bit more open and Free as in freedom and beer, although I'm sure there's a cost there to deploy also.****
Can't say, I'm not surprised that an Apple solution would be excruciating from the outside. ****
releasing an app could always be done the Hackintosh way, but there's still all that pain just getting there.****
With Android and my "course", he'll learn a little: Linux, HTML5, CSS, javascript, Java, and some Android development. Along with math and physics and such.****
A bit better rounded. Still, there's that huge closed, pay to play, market. Who knows, Android may be the shot in the arm FOSS needs to build a really huge base.****
Thanks everyone, your comments, as always are enlightening and useful.****
Jack****
KCLUG mailing list KCLUG@kclug.org http://kclug.org/mailman/listinfo/kclug