W1GUH
06-04-2012, 12:35 PM
I'm working out of Android Application Development ALL-IN-ONE for Dummies (http://www.amazon.com/Android-Application-Development-All--Dummies/dp/1118027701/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1338831128&sr=1-2) by Barry Burd, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Copyright 2012.
And it's not bad. The guys writing style is just fine, and the information is good up to a point. That "point" is where Eclipse (the SDK) has been changed since the book came out. Some of the menus have changed & I've had to look around for what Mr. Burd refers to in the text. Not a BIG deal, but it could cause confusion for newcomers to this kind of development.
It really does seem to be an "ALL-IN-ONE" text and includes things like setting environment variables & the PATH for using command line stuff and setting up the development system in general.
Haven't gotten in to heavy-duty Java coding yet (and dealing with the diffs between that and C#) but I'm kind of stuck with it, so I'll bite that bullet and plow into it head-on.
Also, found that two of my big gripes about Java have been addressed. I read somewhere the expression "just in time." That's gripe no. 1 & looks like Java is now in the 21st century. The other gripe, no drag and drop gui editor is there now. Cool!
And the more I use my Android (Asus Transformer with Ice Cream Sandwich) and get used to the ui, the more I like it. PLUS with the docking station I can plug in a mouse & have the equivalent of a very small and light laptop, and that's just what I was looking for. No more lugging the heavy road laptop with me! Yippee! Haven't tried a USB hub yet (there's only one USB hole), but expect that to work OK. Will report. And the docking station has a "big" battery for more time when not plugged in.
Performance of the Transformer has been just fine -- seems very fast (guess it should with the Nvidia Tegra processor) and hasn't hung yet. One thing about the ui, though, is if you don't have it docked some of the links are really tiny & it's difficult to hit the right one with a finger. Will have to get a stylus for that.
And finally -- be wary of Google GPS stuff. I got a route to Fort Lee last night & the Google Navigation app told me to get on the Henry Hudson Pkwy at 96th St. Oops! That's been closed for at least 10 years. WTF? Didn't happen with google maps on the web today.
And it's not bad. The guys writing style is just fine, and the information is good up to a point. That "point" is where Eclipse (the SDK) has been changed since the book came out. Some of the menus have changed & I've had to look around for what Mr. Burd refers to in the text. Not a BIG deal, but it could cause confusion for newcomers to this kind of development.
It really does seem to be an "ALL-IN-ONE" text and includes things like setting environment variables & the PATH for using command line stuff and setting up the development system in general.
Haven't gotten in to heavy-duty Java coding yet (and dealing with the diffs between that and C#) but I'm kind of stuck with it, so I'll bite that bullet and plow into it head-on.
Also, found that two of my big gripes about Java have been addressed. I read somewhere the expression "just in time." That's gripe no. 1 & looks like Java is now in the 21st century. The other gripe, no drag and drop gui editor is there now. Cool!
And the more I use my Android (Asus Transformer with Ice Cream Sandwich) and get used to the ui, the more I like it. PLUS with the docking station I can plug in a mouse & have the equivalent of a very small and light laptop, and that's just what I was looking for. No more lugging the heavy road laptop with me! Yippee! Haven't tried a USB hub yet (there's only one USB hole), but expect that to work OK. Will report. And the docking station has a "big" battery for more time when not plugged in.
Performance of the Transformer has been just fine -- seems very fast (guess it should with the Nvidia Tegra processor) and hasn't hung yet. One thing about the ui, though, is if you don't have it docked some of the links are really tiny & it's difficult to hit the right one with a finger. Will have to get a stylus for that.
And finally -- be wary of Google GPS stuff. I got a route to Fort Lee last night & the Google Navigation app told me to get on the Henry Hudson Pkwy at 96th St. Oops! That's been closed for at least 10 years. WTF? Didn't happen with google maps on the web today.