Should I Learn To Program iOS Or Android Devices? 403
HW_Hack writes "In my early career in the '90s I had a hardware tech degree, but also a strong interest in software. I completed software courses in assembly, Pascal, HTML, and C as I prepped for a CS degree. I then got my chance to do hardware design for a major US firm and went that direction for a good 18-year career. I now work in a good sized school district doing IT support work at a large high school. I plan to revive my programming skills this winter so I can write apps for the flood of mobile devices. I am very much platform / OS agnostic and I support on any one day OS X, XP, Win 7, Linux servers, and now iOS as we pilot iPads in our school. My question focuses on three topics: Which programming environment (iOS or Android) is easier to jump into from a technical perspective / number of languages needed to master? Which one has a better SDK ecosystem of documentation, programmer support, and developer community(s)? Where is the market and the money going? I do not expect to get rich doing this, but with my insights into K12 needs I hope I can write effective apps for that market."
The post itself (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Android (Score:5, Funny)
Yes, iPod touches, iPhones and iPads still haven't really caught on with the mainstream consumer yet. Consumers can regularly be seen debiting the merits of a cell phone based on the openness of the product - not the functionality or usability. I believe Apple has sold some product units but i'm expecting all the millions of owners to ditch their iDevices any day now simply because Android is less proprietary.
Re:Yes (Score:5, Funny)
Microsoft Windows Phone 7 is coming out in just a couple of months and just as Microsoft has done on the desktop with superior choices like Windows NT, they will quickly dominate the mobile front as well. Microsoft Windows Phone 7 is programmed completely in the industry leading .net programming language and augmented with the unmatched Silverlight technology providing an unrivaled technological platform with which you will only be limited by your imagination for the applications you can develop. Why play around with a tired platform like ios or android (an operating system only tech geeks can use and understand), when you can go with the undisputed leader in computer technology that is Microsoft. Furthermore, the MetroUI as seen on the ZuneHD audio player makes androd and ios look like sad anachronistic throwbacks. No serious developer will even touch aple and googls stuff when Microsoft Windows Phone 7 is unleashed.
Re:No (Score:2, Funny)
I disagree... I originally learned IOS back in the late 1990s when it was at version 9. I still use IOS equipment that have version 12.4 and 15.0 all over the place. learning IOS was the best thing I ever did. I have a CCNA.
Re:Jesus phone (Score:2, Funny)
Go iOS. (Score:3, Funny)
I'd suggest iOS because it is harder to learn meaning you have less competition and more is a more unified platform meaning more potential customers will have easy access to buying your app.
Also people who buy Android tend to be cheaper, thus buying the cheaper Android devices, and are less likely to spend a lot of money on apps.
Of course why not learn both. Android is pretty easy to learn and most of the time it isn't difficult to port an app from iOS to Android or vice versa. Sure they're different languages but the app logic can be very similar and Java and Obj-C aren't horrible dissimilar. Tools exist to make the job easier too. Or if you're geeky you can write your own programming language that can compile to Android/Java and iOS/Obj-C. I've been playing with my own toy language which is similar to Python in syntax. Also did a little Brainfsck one but that isn't really practical. Was amusing myself with the idea of allowing users to script certain elements of a program in Brainfsck.
Re:Go Android (Score:3, Funny)
If you don't already have a Mac, iOS requires Apple hardware for development.
Another good reason to develop for iOS.