I've been lowballing Mac Minis on eBay for about a month now and finally picked one up so I can start messing around with iPhone apps. I haven't programmed anything on a Mac since OS X was in beta, so I'm not really familiar with the state of things at the moment. Does anybody have any recommendations for books or web sites with resources/tutorials for programming for iPhone?

5/16/2010 10:44:11 AM

http://www.markj.net/iphone-development-programming-books/

5/16/2010 11:11:31 AM

Get the book PhoneGap.

It shows you how to write native iPhone apps using HTML and JavaScript

5/16/2010 12:21:34 PM

^thanks a lot, there is no way I could stand to write an entire app in C

5/16/2010 5:32:31 PM

^^Is that a 'app store' app written in HTML/Javascript or web app using the webkit SDK? I thought I read that it was possible to write apps in HTML/Javascript but thought maybe I was misunderstanding it.

5/16/2010 5:44:54 PM

Yeah, basically it's an barebones app written in xcode that just integrates with HTML/Java that you write for your "real app" that can be used to port over to other mobile device app frameworks like Android/Palm/Win mobile etc.

5/16/2010 6:19:45 PM

Java or JavaScript?

5/16/2010 7:19:25 PM

jurvascripped

i spelled it rong

5/17/2010 1:13:00 AM

Look on iTunes U for the complete iPhone programming course. Its quite helpful and a very good intro.

5/17/2010 8:51:09 AM

and look on torrents for the wwdc iphone developer classes ... they are pretty good too.

5/17/2010 11:39:51 AM

I ended up ordering Beginning iPhone 3 Development for the time being. I'll see how that goes.

5/18/2010 11:14:28 PM

^I have that book as well (but the earlier SDK edition)

I also got Programming in Objective C 2.0 which is what I started with and it made it a lot easier to understand.

5/18/2010 11:17:43 PM

Yeah, objective C seems kinda wonky.

5/18/2010 11:22:18 PM

To me, everything is pretty simple outside the memory management stuff ...

Had the hardest time getting my head around the retain/release concepts for some reason.

5/19/2010 10:24:15 AM

If you are familiar with C or Java you should be able to find your way in Objective-C fairly easily.

5/19/2010 2:19:37 PM

I'm about 130 pages into Beginning iPhone 3 Development. I really like the book, but I am seriously hating Objective C. Blerg.

6/9/2010 10:07:49 PM

that's pretty much how i felt when i read it

6/9/2010 10:16:03 PM

Quote :

"Get the book PhoneGap. It shows you how to write native iPhone apps using HTML and JavaScript"

Or just develop for Windows Phone 7 and love life again.

6/9/2010 10:59:12 PM

love life but have no customers ;-)

6/10/2010 8:52:53 AM

Yeah, I'll get a Windows phone if I have extra cash lying around, and developing should be a snap since I have a few years of XNA experience, but iPhone is definitely higher on my priorities list.

6/10/2010 9:34:46 AM

^Unlike with Apple, Microsoft will be handing out developer kits (including unlocked phones) starting in July. http://www.istartedsomething.com/20100609/windows-phone-7-devices-developers-hands-july/

Imagine that, being able to develop for a platform without shelling out $1500 up front

6/10/2010 9:26:17 PM

Microsoft is the Don Quixote of mobile device developers.

6/10/2010 9:28:58 PM

^^ lol are you kidding...?

How many people are going to actually get those kits?

And XCode is not as nice as Visual Studio, but it's not a bad environment compared to the Droid or the BlackBerry (which half-assedly piggy back on Eclipse). It's FAR easier to develop quality apps for the iPhone than either of those in fact.

Considering the 100th Million iOS device gets sold this month, and that the iPhone SDK environment is still very good, a budding developer would be foolish to bypass the iPhone.

And i'm not sure how you calculate $1500 for iOS development, without being horribly disingenuous.

It's cool that you work for Microsoft and all, and the Windows Phone 7 looks like a decent OS, but there's no need to be so shameless.

[Edited on June 10, 2010 at 9:34 PM. Reason : ]

6/10/2010 9:34:19 PM

unlocked iPhone = 4-700 dollars. macbook = 900 dollars. = ~1500 dollars.

Quote :

"How many people are going to actually get those kits?"

More than you think I'd bet. But I have no idea.

Quote :

"Considering the 100th Million iOS device gets sold this month, and that the iPhone SDK environment is still very good, a budding developer would be foolish to bypass the iPhone."

I never said anything to that effect. Merely mentioning that other platforms don't require nearly the capital investment that iOS does. I'm an iPhone developer and it has been worth every penny. I will likely continue to be for a long time to come. But I don't think I will be a 1 platform mobile developer for very much longer.

6/10/2010 9:47:33 PM

Quote :

"unlocked iPhone = 4-700 dollars. macbook = 900 dollars. = ~1500 dollars. "

lol

so disingenuous then.

6/10/2010 9:56:08 PM

Quote :

"the iPhone SDK environment is still very good"

speaking of shameless

anyone who describes the iPhone SDK environment as anything other than riding the edge of serviceable is a joke.

iPod Touch - 200
mac mini - 600
developer - 100

900 bucks, if you happen to have an extra monitor

Its still nitpicking though. Any route you go the barrier to entry is ridiculously low.

[Edited on June 10, 2010 at 10:03 PM. Reason : *]

6/10/2010 9:57:31 PM

^Ahh, I didn't even think about the iPod touch, that is a good point. But I can tell you first hand, a 600 dollar Mac Mini doesn't cut it. I manually upgraded to 4gb of RAM and even now it's just barely tolerable as a development device.

6/10/2010 10:19:50 PM

Yeah I would agree, I bought a 1200 dollar imac, but like I said, technicality

6/10/2010 10:48:09 PM

Quote :

"anyone who describes the iPhone SDK environment as anything other than riding the edge of serviceable is a joke. "

I can see why you'd think that compared to Windows development, for example, but not compared to really any other smartphone on the market.

6/10/2010 11:33:53 PM

Yeah I see what you're saying now. Ill take your word since I've not done development for other smartphones.

6/10/2010 11:44:19 PM