Google is set to release App Inventor for Android soon, which is touted to allow non-programmers to be able to visually create their own android applications.
If you haven't heard of Android, it is a free, opensource operating system from Google for handhelds. It made waves recently when Motorola released the Droid mobile phone that was said to be the iphone killer.
The nemesis and antithesis of Apple's iphone business model, which is closed-source and very tightly regulated by Apple, Android is opensource and freely available to anyone. As of this post, in order to develop an iphone or ipad application, you need to sign up and get Apple's software. Your application must also adhere to Apple's licensing agreement. (Link Via Electronic Frontiers Foundation)
Once you pay your annual $99.00, you need to know Objective-C to be able to actually write your application. There are some visual application programs available to create iphone and ipad applications without coding though. Titanium is a promising application that is similar to the App Inventor available now.
While some of Apple's policies are in place to protect the end-user, some of it can be downright draconian and not fair to the hard-working developers who create the applications. Apple takes a percentage of every sale as well. They are, however, a business, and businesses exist to make money.
Right now, Apple has the mobile application market in the palm of their hand. The iphone and ipad are some of the most popular devices that the masses use to consume content and communicate. Watch out though, because Android is very quickly catching up and I am sure some Apple executives are losing a little sleep at night over Google.
Contrary to Apple, Android is free and so is the App Inventor. Now you can make your own Android Applicatioons!
Rumors abound about the first Android powered tablet, and Dell will probably be the first with their Streak.
Now is the time to get your applications in place and begin development of Android based applications.
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