I downloaded the Android SDK from Google and also the latest version of Eclipse. The documentation for Android is better than expected, with an API that gives a good overview, a tutorial that works flawlessly and even a short video presentation.
Eclipse Europa (3.3) starts up real slow compared to my other desktop programs, but it is stable and has an abundance of features. My experience with Java-programs for the desktop (not for the server) is that they always use a lot more time to start up compared to other desktop programs.
I needed to change the PATH in my environment to set up the SDK, but this is well documented and was easy to do. The example worked straight away, and the emulated Android (mobile OS) was fun to try out and looked polished.
Compared to my ordinary Desktop experience, Android is cumbersome to use (the screen is small and you use the arrow-keys a lot), but it’s on par with Opera Mini 4 which I have on my cellphone.
Due to the openness of Android, the cleverness of the Google employees and the simple design that we are starting to take for granted, I have no doubt that Android will become widespread real quick. Compared to what I’ve seen of the interface for iPhone, Android is not as smooth yet. But, Android has several huge advantages:
- It’s easy to get started to develop for Android
- Developers like the Android SDK, since it is incredibly well thought out and open
- The standard GUI on Android can and will be improved by the hordes of developers out there
- Everything is ready for innovation to happen on the Android platform, expect at least one killerapp
- The GUI and the applications are likely to improve at a rapid rate
- Google is offering a cache price for developers
- Many mobile phone companies can unite instead of developing crappy systems on their own
If the API is as well thought out as it looks, the libraries as stable as they should and Google as open and non-evil as it can be, this is bound to be a winner.