Android or iOS for mobile development?

Question

I would like to learn mobile development for fun and as well to enrich my resumé. I'm currently developing in C/C++ at work on Windows (and sometimes with C# that I don't like too much). I have a nice Android phone and an iPod touch, so I wonder what is the best enviroment on which work.

Sure iPhone/iOS now has huge user base and a lot of attention, but it is used just i on 3 devices from a single vendor (iPhone + iPod touch + iPad), Android instead is used by a lot of vendors, however is not gaining the attention it deserves. I own a MacBook white so I can develop for iOS (I even have installed XCode but it seems a mess to me), but I prefer to work on Windows and I downloaded Android SDK + Eclipse and it seems much more easy given my Visual Studio background. I also know some Java and I'm already resigned to Linux.

So... which one should I learn, also given my background?

Answer 1

I don't think there is a real Answer to your question but since you already have the Android SDK and Eclipse set up why not try that first. Then if you don't like it try something else.

I found it very easy to deploy application on the Android Market and the registration fee is very small.

Answer 2

Android programming is a little bit difficult. Apple provide, in its development tool, a storyboard system that make very simple to control the flow of the app. Android is a bit more complicated. On the other side, Apple programming is expensive: you need at least a Mac Book, an one between Iphone or Ipad. Last but not least, you need to sign to the apple developer program if you want to publish the app or to test it on a real device, which means 80 dollar/year. You can develop even without the program, and without a real device (iphone or ipad), but this means no possibility to test on a real device, which provides some characteristics that the simulator doesn't provide. And still you need a Mac, for Xcode (the apple developer tool) is only for Mac.

I believe though that is only your choice. Personally, i would begin with Apple in order to start with something that is simple at the beginning, but only if you have all the instruments listed above. For fun, Android is better: more complicated but free.