Mobile development(Android & iOS) beginner needs guidance

Question

So, I recently took a job where I need to develop a fairly simple notification app on both iOS and Android. I've never done mobile development, besides a hello world in Android and some very basic stuff in Objective-C. I've never really programmed Java either, but it shouldn't be hard for me to learn enough to make these apps. Here's where I need help:

I need to find the best way to get started, I want to have Android and iOS developing environments up and running by the end of the day. My desktop broke leaving me with only a ubuntu system, however I can install different operating systems if need be. Could somebody show me how to get everything set up nicely? I want to have both of these environments set up before I begin to learn the code necessary, this way I can determine if it will be beyond my abilities and I can tell my employer that he should find another guy.

I am most comfortable in windows, however use ubuntu on a daily basis as well, and would consider myself averagely competent with it. Is iOS development impossible without running os x? Could I run an os x virtual machine if need be?

Sorry for all the questions, I thank anybody that is willing to offer me some help.

EDIT: I am just going to add that I have an android device(Tmobile Samsung Galaxy S2), and an iOS device(Old iTouch), in case this makes any difference.

Answer 1

Ubuntu will work just fine for Android Development. You're going to need a machine with Mac OS for iOS development.

You can always run a Windows machine and get two Virtual Boxes for Mac OS and Ubuntu.

For Android: You'll need to download the Android SDK and then get an IDE of your choice. Android has a Plug in with Eclipse. You can use Netbeans or whatever.

http://developer.android.com/index.html

Go to this website and follow their instructions.

For iOS you'll need to Download XCode and then they explain everything for that.

There's really not all that much to set up. You may want to add the SDK tools to your path so that you can run them from your command line but that's about it.

Download and code.

Answer 2

As far as I know, for iOS development you need xcode, so on a virtual machine, yes it should work. My first advice is to begin with the technology you know the most, which seems, in your case to be Objective-C. Do the first app using Objective-C and after go for Android.

Windows or Ubuntu has no importance for Android development, you could use Eclipse and the emulator provided by the SDK, or better, an Android phone.

To set up your development environment just follow :

Android : http://developer.android.com/sdk/installing.html

iOS : https://developer.apple.com/devcenter/ios/index.action

Answer 3

For Ios developent u require mac os on which u can need to install Xcode and ios simualtors. For Android developend u need to install Eclipse and emulator sdk

Answer 4

The developer.android.com has nearly everything you need to know about android development. The recommended IDE is Eclipse, it has a great plugin for managing the virtual devices and using the SDK.

http://developer.android.com/sdk/installing.html

That should cover everything you need for setting up the environment for android.

The XCode IDE for IOS is only available for OSX.

For cross development you can look at something like MonoTouch, which lets you write C# that works on both android and IOS.

Answer 5

Android:

Windows,Mac or ubuntu is ok.The Eclipse IDE will work in all.

iOS:

Mac.The IDE xcode will work only in this OS.

Only mac system believe me don't try the Virtual machine,stuffs like that it won't work.I've personally experienced so many problems with the VM thing

The problem is mac os needs higher configurations which our normal laptops and desktops won't support and trying hackintosh is also tiresome and eventually you'll end up wasting lots of time

so if you want to spend less money only then you can try mac-mini

Android & iOS:

Buy Mac product this is the only reasonable way

Answer 6

Nowadays the best variant for developing for both platforms(iOS, Android) is using Mac product with MacOS where you can install necessary IDE(Xcode, Android Studio...) and simulators and emulators