This document provides an overview of getting started with Android development. It discusses how to make money from Android apps through paid apps, ads, or services to other developers. It also covers publishing apps to the Android Market, a quick tour of common and less common Android features, the Android design philosophy focusing on responsiveness, and leveraging the web to keep apps fast.

1. • Getting Started with Android
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Except as otherwise noted, the content of this presentation is
licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.

2. • How to make money with apps?
• Apps supplement other revenue source
– Ex. iFixit
• Paid apps in Android Market
• Free, ad-supported apps in Android Market
– Ad networks (AdMob, Quattro Wireless)
– Sell your own ads
• Services to other developers
– Ex. Skyhook Wireless
• Contests (this class, Android Developer Challenge)
• Others?

3. • Android Market
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Categories, downloads, comments
Free/paid
Limited search capability
Featured apps on web
– http://www.android.com/market/
• Market (and iTunes/App Store)
– Level playing field, allowing third-party apps
– Revenue sharing
– 100K apps in iTunes, 18K in Android

4. • Publishing to Android Market
• Requires Google Developer Account
– $25 fee
• Link to a Merchant Account
– Google Checkout
– Link to your checking account
– Google takes 30% of app purchase price

6. • Quick Tour of Android
• Common features:
– User Interface
– IO widgets (buttons, textboxes, lists)
– Images
– 2D/3D drawing
– Database
– Application lifecycle

7. • Quick Tour of Android
• Less common features:
– Google Maps
– Hardware APIs
– GPS/Geo-location, calls, accelerometer, compass, bluetooth,
camera
– Multiple processes
– Managed by Android Dalvik VM
– Background Services
– Interprocess communications (e.g. Intents)
– No difference between third-party and native apps

8. • Android Design Philosophy
• Applications should be:
– Fast
– Resource constraints: <200MB RAM, slow processor
– Responsive
– Apps must respond to user actions within 5 seconds
– Secure
– Apps declare permissions in manifest
– Seamless
– Usability is key, persist data, suspend services
– Android kills processes in background as needed

9. • Leveraging the web
• To keep your apps fast and responsive, consider how you
can leverage the web
– What ____________ can be ________ on a server or in
the cloud?
– Tasks/performed
– Data/persisted
– Data/retrieved
– Beware, data transfer is also expensive and can be slow

10. • Apple vs. Google
• Open Handset Alliance
– 30+ technology companies
– Commitment to openness, shared vision, and concrete
plans
• Compare with Mac/PC battles
– Similar (many PC manufacturers, one Apple)
– Different (Microsoft sells Windows, Google gives away
Android)