Chapter 1. Getting Started with Android Programming
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS CHAPTER
What is Android?
Android versions and its feature set
The Android architecture
The various Android devices on the market
The Android Market application store
How to obtain the tools and SDK for developing Android applications
How to develop your first Android application
Welcome! The fact that you are holding this book in your hands (or are reading it on your latest mobile device) signifies that you are interested in learning how to write applications for the Android platform — and there's no better time to do this than now! The mobile application market is exploding, and recent market research shows that Android has overtaken iPhone to occupy the second position in the U.S. smartphone market. The first place honor currently goes to Research In Motion (RIM), with Apple's iPhone taking third place. By the time you read this, chances are good that Android may have become the number one smartphone platform in the U.S., and that you may even be reading this on one of the latest Android devices.
What propelled this relatively unknown operating system, which Google bought in 2005, to its popular status today? And what features does it offer? In this chapter you will learn what Android is, and what makes it so compelling to both developers and device manufacturers alike. You will also get started with developing your first Android application, and learn how to obtain all the necessary tools and set them up. ...
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