Database Info

Android for Windows - BlueStacks

Good day community,
Over the past several months, a few of us have been working on a projerct some may be familiar with. We have bundled an add-on to specific BlueStacks versions to allow for a complete Operating System environment, full of communications tools.
We didn't "develop", any of it. We have taken the time to scour the internet and primarily this site to garner the education, information and knowledge to actually bring it to fruition. We would like to say a big THANK YOU to the entire community here. We feel this is am important piece to a software life-cycle where developed information is compiled into a fully functioning system, exposing your people's craftsmanship.
The motive here is a moral one. I have been a communications engineer for 22 years and have seen and done things I thought weren't possible. I have been tasked with trying to develop an education platform technology matrix for schools. Specifically using my innovation abilities to solve problems. I am not a coder, I am more of a script writer. I have found success in making disparate hardware and software work together, and producing middle-ware scripts and functions to technologically solve challenges. In every sector.
I believe I have identified one of the major issues related to student success rates. Basic communications is hindered in many schools, internet cut out, and dictator like classroom regime. I feel communications is the king of industry and whomever has the information the fastest, cheapest, and accurate, wins. This is proven time and time again in capitalism. I feel students should be able to sms, or exchange pictures and peruse social networks, both to each other and their teachers. These are real-world tools, and the primary back-bone of a child's social life. But students need to learn to be accountable for they digital actions,
This "OS" changes things ever so slightly., not every student can afford the gear required to have that type of communication. If every kid could afford an iphone and ipad, than I don't need to do this project. Android on the other hand, little or no cost at all.
I will be deploying Android for Windows across the board. Students will have to setup a Google account and online storage. Copies of AW can be had for their home computer. The environment is the environment kids all love and use, the emulated touch interface is "cool" and the kids can support it and maintain it mostly themselves, and sync it to their PC phones or other devices, but those are NOT required. And no need to upgrade the PC's for a while, BlueStacks is Linux(ish), it's hardware demands are low, and I can keep the PC's at there current level.
I distribute it on thepratebay, another long story for another day, but this is the best way to ensure it stays out there, and the price is right to be able to push it out to the world. We have tirelessly worked to ensure compatibility with the apps the devs release and I know this particular release of AW has restored many of the items BlueStacks cripples
We have started a mini marketing campaign to drum up interest, although modest. And for you devs, this open an ENTIRE new revenue stream you didn't even have before. Making Android the primary OS used.
---------------------------
That's the agenda, I would like to open a support thread for it somewhere on here. I have an armada of info, tools, rootkits, tricks and troubleshooting information that we feel can be valuable to the community. I'll get things posted here ASAP. Anyone that has played with this at all before will be able to appreciate all of the challenges we had to solve.
We did not knowingly disassemble or modify any of the original distribution files of any applications, staying in accordance with about every license agreement on earth.
--------------------------
Looking for some feedback, questions, thoughts, ideas.. have to get 10 posts or something anyway...
Thank you to everyone!
-js

What's the difference between your project and the Android x86 project?

syung said:
What's the difference between your project and the Android x86 project?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AFAIK Bluestacks has its own VM, so you doesn't need to install Virtual Machine any more.
I used this for a several months and it helps me to try an application without to send it to any Android device.
If you use Android x86 project, yo need to install it inside a Virtual Machine or make a USB Bootable, and as far I know it has limitations in the Play Store. Only some application that supports the architecture can be downloaded..

The Android x86 project is a piece of this absolutely. What BlueStacks is and what they have done is this:
Taken x86 gingerbread and ad an arm translator inside there. This is very unique, all of the other arm emulations fail out there after you even try to put them to the test with heavier use or apps. Basically the compatibility is just not there.
BlueStacks then added the vm player which is the most sophisticated player there is. Network mounts to shared fordler without installing drivers, and opengl support for limited HD graphics.
What we did
BlueStacks also crippled the hell out of the original ROM. All kinds of things missing that had to be put back in piece by piece, and still ensure compatibility. Some things fine to leave out, other maybe useful.
poring over the information, rooting bluestacks came easy, so we rooted every single v7.x of bluestacks, and began the mountain task of building compatibility. The winners are 7.4 for SD and 7.8 for HD. 7.8 handle the interface scrolling operations WAY better than later revisions. I can tell it was after this rev they forced on Surface Pro support, not back checking compatibility. And 7.4 installs on any machine but drops the arm translator. Still a nice product to put on an old machine, but little support for modern apps, and there won't be
Then doing a fair assessment of applications to do all the tasks one needs, file manipulation, printing, music, calling etc, We've spent over 200 hours trying to get a reliable lock screen, failed on that But we got most of it.
Finally adding and getting gapps to fully function was about like trying to drink a beer while standing on your head, it was like a marathon game of whack mole, we'd fix something, then something else friggen slam us over the head. Then we got to writing script, and adding widows apps like virtual keyboards and mouse to basically be able to run the entire OS with 1 finger as if you were Stephen Hawking.
We had an excellent response to the initial concept stuff version 1.1. It held on to around 400 seeders and 1000 user swam for about a week then began to fizzle. We expect that to triple and estimate 100,000 downloads in the first week. It is my opinion thepiratebay is the most accurate source for demand of anything digital, people that keep a copy and seed, actually really like something, versus an artificial "like" that other sites have and profit from. That's all Trip9d0zen stuff, about removing fake values and replacing it with real information exchange freedoms, so actually all financial can get to a creator, don't want to digress to far in this thread, but there is an ideology we have in common with thee twitters and thepitatebay's who have just the extreme basics of censorship, only to ensure safety, but never manipulated the information. We have evidence and models to change current businesses, and put the devs out in-front of these projects (or the artist selected agents). The more systems Android runs on, more success one can have. And Windows being the biggest, hands down, why not?
We feel this is by far the most compatible Android environment one can use, and can actually be used by anyone as an effective tool.
We know full well that once released, the ungodly amount of app work requests will be at its highest, but that's why I am here, where the devs are.. is this a revenue stream they want to suppport,?
I am personally using it exclusively for all my communications, social media and document creation, I only use windows for video playing files.
Hope that helps answer, here is the info to commercials for it, as our lil-1337s eloquently cranked out, smartasses...
youtube search for js99912
-js

It looks interesting, i'll check that up!

Dexcellium said:
It looks interesting, i'll check that up!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Me too. Thanks

Android for Windows 2.0
new version just went live..... can someone reply with a hot-link, thanks
thepiratebay.sx
/torrent/8440340

Adding Game Data / Mount SDcard.sparse BlueStacks
Ok, I have been asked about this more than anything,
Used to be the SDcard was a .fs file and could be manipulated easy, now it's a bit more involved, but none to difficult.
You need to download:
thepiratebay.sx/
torrent/8453985
This will get you to be able to mount the SDcard.sparsefs as a drive letter in windows... Nothing new, just consolidating info as I have been requested for this more than anything else. Enjoy!
-js

Would Unity be the best for myself? Or another route?

Hello,
I've been doing some research on the many, many different routes I can go with Android development, and I'm hoping someone might be able to help narrow down my choice. My experience is currently web related, PHP/HTML/CSS, with knowledge of intermediate Javascript, etc.
I'd like to create a very similar game to Football Manager, but less ambitious. For those that aren't aware, it's a simulation game where you're the manager of a soccer team.
My ambition is to keep it very simple, dumbed down. No need to watch the games, pretty much all text with simple graphics for some things.
My issue is, trying to find a place to start. There's literally a lot of different routes, and I'm overwhelmed. Do I use HTML5? Java? One of the programs like Unity, Construct? PhoneGap?
For my specific game, and idea, what would be your best suggestion on what to use?
Thanks in advance.

you can try CocoonJS. it's easy.
It's html5 fraemwork.
CocoonJS is a technology that helps HTML5 developers publish their web-based games and apps in the most important mobile and web stores with no code changes and with all the advantages of native development.
Using CocoonJS, a single code base is enough to publish a game or app natively on more than 10 stores. Best of all, with no installations thanks to our cloud-based platform.
HTML5 is finally ready for cross-platform app and game development!
Learn more: http://ludei.com
But now it's in open beta.
All free, but all Extension only for premium users.
Premium account granted for free, if you have nice idia/project.

The answer is "it depends"
A couple of questions...
1. Will it only be for Android? or are you also planning to push it to iPhone?
2. Will the interface be more like a app (eg. gmail, calendar, utility apps) or more like a game (immersive, completely different interface) ?
3. Will there be a lot of interaction? or mainly consuming information?

pyko said:
The answer is "it depends"
A couple of questions...
1. Will it only be for Android? or are you also planning to push it to iPhone?
2. Will the interface be more like a app (eg. gmail, calendar, utility apps) or more like a game (immersive, completely different interface) ?
3. Will there be a lot of interaction? or mainly consuming information?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Android to start, possibility of iPhone in the future.
2. Straight forward, more like an app, nothing too pretty, more statistical.
3. Mainly consuming information, lots of behind the scenes work.

In that case, I would say go for a mobile friendly web-based app, as opposed to a native app. So this would mean HTML/CSS/JavaScript.
Reasons are:
You want to eventually be on both Android and iPhone. Since you're app is more "app like" if you go native, you'll essentially have to write 2 separate apps to have good user experience (Android and iPhone have vastly different experience guidelines). WIth a mobile-friendly website, you'll satisfy both with one code base
You've already got experience in HTML/CSS/Javascript - definitely a big win!
Since your app will mainly be information consumption, it sounds suitable for a website.
When done correctly, a mobile-friendly website can still be a great experience to use
A couple of things to be aware of...
Don't try and imitate the native UI on the mobile-friendly website. It is a website, not a native app! Users are fine if it doesn't behave like a native app (afterall, they would've just reached your site via the browser). In fact, if you make the website behave sorta like a native app, it might confuse users more. Best direction is to have a good, solid ,easy to use and understand UI. (Be wary of the Uncanny Valley)
Unlike laptops/desktops, mobiles generally are less powerful, so you'll need/want to optimise performance. Make sure the website runs fast & smoothly (ie. optimise resource downloading, minimise/optimise javascript animations etc). Be aware that most phones have a 'click delay' (to detect swipes/drags etc) so you'll want to use something like fastclick to eliminate this.
Remember that on a mobile device your user will be using their fingers (and not a mouse) to click/interact with your website. So make sure tap targets are nice and large.
Finally .... test on a real device! Chrome dev tools etc to simulate phone screens is great for dev, but actually using your website on a mobile will reveal many design decisions that might need to change.
This might sound like a lot to think about, but I think given what you've said about your idea, in the long run, it will be more time efficient. (there is probably a equally long list of things to think about when developing a native app!)
Good luck with your idea

pyko said:
In that case, I would say go for a mobile friendly web-based app, as opposed to a native app. So this would mean HTML/CSS/JavaScript.
Reasons are:
You want to eventually be on both Android and iPhone. Since you're app is more "app like" if you go native, you'll essentially have to write 2 separate apps to have good user experience (Android and iPhone have vastly different experience guidelines). WIth a mobile-friendly website, you'll satisfy both with one code base
You've already got experience in HTML/CSS/Javascript - definitely a big win!
Since your app will mainly be information consumption, it sounds suitable for a website.
When done correctly, a mobile-friendly website can still be a great experience to use
A couple of things to be aware of...
Don't try and imitate the native UI on the mobile-friendly website. It is a website, not a native app! Users are fine if it doesn't behave like a native app (afterall, they would've just reached your site via the browser). In fact, if you make the website behave sorta like a native app, it might confuse users more. Best direction is to have a good, solid ,easy to use and understand UI. (Be wary of the Uncanny Valley)
Unlike laptops/desktops, mobiles generally are less powerful, so you'll need/want to optimise performance. Make sure the website runs fast & smoothly (ie. optimise resource downloading, minimise/optimise javascript animations etc). Be aware that most phones have a 'click delay' (to detect swipes/drags etc) so you'll want to use something like fastclick to eliminate this.
Remember that on a mobile device your user will be using their fingers (and not a mouse) to click/interact with your website. So make sure tap targets are nice and large.
Finally .... test on a real device! Chrome dev tools etc to simulate phone screens is great for dev, but actually using your website on a mobile will reveal many design decisions that might need to change.
This might sound like a lot to think about, but I think given what you've said about your idea, in the long run, it will be more time efficient. (there is probably a equally long list of things to think about when developing a native app!)
Good luck with your idea
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much for your help, I appreciate all the information. One last question on my end.
I'm assuming the development tools would be the same as a usual website (ie. In my case, Dreamweaver?). If you're familiar with Game Dev Tycoon, would a layout /similar style of interaction game b, e capable using only Dreamweaver, or is something else needed?

No worries, more than happy to help
I would actually suggest not using Dreamweaver as for the mobile website, you'll really want to be as lean and minimal as possible. From what I recall, Dreamweaver can add quite a bit of 'cruft' to your code.
I would suggest a standard text editor (recommend: http://www.sublimetext.com/) as that would allow you to have complete control over your code, what you include/exclude, what goes where etc. The mobile site will require that extra attention as you really want to make sure it runs smoothly on the mobile.
In terms of quick dev iteration (making sure the site looks correct) you can use the chrome developer tools (https://developers.google.com/chrome-developer-tools/) which allows you to fake the user agent/screen size etc on your browser. Though nothing beats occasional testing on a real device - just to make sure you're on the right track.
Had a look at Game Dev Tycoon and I would say for something as involved as that (lots of interaction, animations etc) it's better to go down the native route.

pyko said:
No worries, more than happy to help
I would actually suggest not using Dreamweaver as for the mobile website, you'll really want to be as lean and minimal as possible. From what I recall, Dreamweaver can add quite a bit of 'cruft' to your code.
I would suggest a standard text editor (recommend: http://www.sublimetext.com/) as that would allow you to have complete control over your code, what you include/exclude, what goes where etc. The mobile site will require that extra attention as you really want to make sure it runs smoothly on the mobile.
In terms of quick dev iteration (making sure the site looks correct) you can use the chrome developer tools (https://developers.google.com/chrome-developer-tools/) which allows you to fake the user agent/screen size etc on your browser. Though nothing beats occasional testing on a real device - just to make sure you're on the right track.
Had a look at Game Dev Tycoon and I would say for something as involved as that (lots of interaction, animations etc) it's better to go down the native route.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you again. I appreciate all your help.

What the best framework for cross-platform?

I tried to use libgdx and found out the its not user friendly at all. very complicated framework with no support at all.
I want to write games, that the highest level is AngryBirgds. (I'll start from something much simple).
what framework would you recommend?
what do you think about Xamarin?
p.s
I'm looking for a free framework that I can publish on Google Play

What you didn't like about libGDX? It has great documentation and a friendly community. After trying a simple game tutorial on their wiki the framework doesn't seem at all complicated.
A great benefit to it is a desktop version for really fast testing or even releasing — Spine 2d skeletal animation tool was made by one of main libGDX developers using libGDX.
Also i tried to release the iOS version of the game with libGDX, which successfully got in AppStore.

11alex11 said:
I tried to use libgdx and found out the its not user friendly at all. very complicated framework with no support at all.
I want to write games, that the highest level is AngryBirgds. (I'll start from something much simple).
what framework would you recommend?
what do you think about Xamarin?
p.s
I'm looking for a free framework that I can publish on Google Play
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
I am not familiar with Xamrin but familiar with phoneGap. I worked in mobilepundits which offers PhoneGap mobile app development company. In the company I used this tool for mobile app development. According to this tool is really easy to use which enable you to build mobile apps even you are not friendly with it.

PhoneGap is one of the best framework for cross platform mobile applications development. It is a free tool which can be used easily. In conclusion if your app can work with more than one platform then you must use the PhoneGap.

I don't think PhoneGap and Xamarin are good choice if you want to make games. Both are good frameworks for making Apps, but if you really want to dive deep into game development you need to use a game engine, which solves a lot more tasks specific for game development.
If you want some higher-level and more user friendly framework then you definitely should try Unity.
If you want more control or just like to work on a lower level and at least a little familiar with C++, then I'd suggest you to try Cocos2D-x.
If you have a Mac, plan to support iOS, and not afraid of Objective-C or the new Swift programming language, then take a look at Cocos2D-Swift (aka Cocos2D-iPhone). Despite the name you can use it to create games for both iOS and Android (via Apportable).
There are other good game engines. But I've only worked with those three I've mentioned (and even wrote a book about Cocos2D-Swift and several tutorials on Unity).

Framework for Cross-Platform: Corona and Titanium
My vote for cross platform framework goes to Corona and Titanium. If you are developing a native app then Titanium is the best option. Titanium is best for developing a normal application. Titanium framework offers a wide range of native functionality and works perfectly with platforms like iOS and Android. If you are developing a game related application then go with Corona.

Try Unity3d its has a free version. If you want check my games in my signature, they are both made in Unity for Android and iOS.

If you would like to create a 2D cross-platform game the best engine is cocos2d-x.
In this platform you can use C++ or LUA.
Also there is a great community and it is open source. So, you can add own modules and fixes to repository.
But if you would like to create a 3D game or smth like this, the best framework is Unity.

I definitely recommend you the Cocos2d-x to give it a try.
Cocos2d-x allows you to write games in C++, Lua and Javascript. Moreover you can deploy games for variety of platforms: Windows Phone, Android, iOS, Windows Desktop, Linux, Blackberry, MacOS and Browser!
Yesterday they announced new Cocos brand which simplyfies many things and makes it more friendly
URL: www.cocos.com & www.cocos2d-x.com

119
I've been using Unity and it's working well so far. They have a large dev community. There's also an asset store where you can grab/buy plug-ins or assets to save time.

What about Marmalade?

I am working on such solution => gl.aexol.com/product
1 code = deployment to Android, iOS, Mac, Windows & Linux
It's called AexolGL - you can download for free beta web engine and you would be notified about Mobile + PC version launch.
Regards.

You can use Qt for Android, iOS, and other platforms.

Hey, Libgdx is good, just that startup time is bit high as not very friendly. I worked on it and it helps you understand basic concepts. Can be used with Java and RoboVM integration is easy which helps you make it cross platform.
Xamarin is good, it will help you create app for iOs and android. Never used it though.
Unity is one good game engine which can be used. It is very user friendly. Lot of assets and code can be bought from Unity asset store.
11alex11 said:
I tried to use libgdx and found out the its not user friendly at all. very complicated framework with no support at all.
I want to write games, that the highest level is AngryBirgds. (I'll start from something much simple).
what framework would you recommend?
what do you think about Xamarin?
p.s
I'm looking for a free framework that I can publish on Google Play
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

myth007_03 said:
Hey, Libgdx is good, just that startup time is bit high as not very friendly. I worked on it and it helps you understand basic concepts. Can be used with Java and RoboVM integration is easy which helps you make it cross platform.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been a fan of libgdx for a while.. Perhaps check out one of the first editors for it overlap2d*dot*com (hah, still need to hit 10 posts). Also they have a great blog that describes using the editor to make a physics based platformer.

libGdx and Cocos2D
Hi!
Really I don't know why libGdx is not user friendly. A few weeks ago I made a research about best cross-platform frameworks. I start with Unity3D, It's really friendly, but, it not free for comercial use and it is much powerful for my small tasks. In result I have to favorite: libGdx and Cocos2D. The first one using Java and more like Unity3D/Xamarin/MonoGame. Cocos2D use C++, and you can work in Visual Studio with it. But, for me Hello World application on Cocos was more difficult than in libGdx.
And there is not only my imho, I have been read many the same posts on other forums about libGdx and Cocos2D.
If you have no preference between Java and C++ better start with Java and libGdx.

Hi,
It actually depend about your langage skills and what kind of game you want to develop.
Unity is very goo, and you can develop a game without coding, but you have to pay to use it, and some plugin like iap, gamecenter, ads is also expensive.
Libgdx also very good but may be hard for new developer.
I currently use openfl for 2d games which is totally free. The language is close to the flash and there are many tutorial to learn. Moreover, the plugin for pub ipa, game center are available and free. The commuty is nice , but the langage is probably not adapt for 3d development.

I've just ported my game Space Shooter X from Windows Phone to Android using Xamarin. I've shared my experience in a blog post. Here's the link http://www.borneomobile.com/2015/03...-from-windows-phone-to-android-using-xamarin/

libgdx vs unity
Hi,
I'm new to game development (i started some month ago), but i made some research.
From what i could understand, the right game engine for you vary much on your purposes.
I choose libgdx, due to the considerations i made.
-Unity:
said to be very user friendly, and a lot faster in developing games (it hides a lot of things). If your purpose is to develop new games fast, it can be good.
Cons: it has 2 versions: personal and professional. You have their splash screen or pay. From their site: unity3d com/get-unity
Personal: "Deployment to all platforms included with the Personal Edition splash screen."
Professional: "Unity 5 Professional customers who earned/received more than $100,000 in revenue/funding in the previous fiscal year must purchase iOS Pro and/or Android Pro deployment add-ons to deploy to these platforms. The iOS and Android Pro add-ons enable deployment without the Personal Edition splash screen."
-LibGDX:
it gives you a lot of control to everything, so you can really do what you want. After a period, and following some tutorial, it seems good and not so hard. You can develop for Desktop, android, ios and web.
If your purpose is to understand how a game works, this is good. Also, it is totally free, and its performance are the best.
Cons: It is a little unfriendly at the beginning.

I've been trying LibGDX and Unity.
If you haven't created a game before, you should start with LibGDX or native, just to understand how things works.
If you created a game before, you could take a look at Unity, it shorten a lot Development time and it's a things you should be aware of if you want to make your game rentable.

[Q] Which Tool Is Right for Me?

I'm wondering, based on experience witch of these people would recommend for mobile app development. (Please mention which of these you actually have experience using.)
I'm an "old school" developer and am proficient in PHP/PERL, HTML, CSS and Javascript. I don't have time to learn a new language like C# and I refuse to use Microsoft's tolls (like .NET, Visual Studio, etc.) but I would spend the time maybe to pickup up RUBY (or maybe Java) if enough benefit was there in the associated mobile app development tool.
I want as close to native as possible with 90%+ cross-platform solution, meaning, 5-10% of the source code may differ due to differences in platform. I will only be developing for Android and IOS (sorry Windows) but may develop for Windows Down the road. Some apps I may develop may be enterprise class that need to get remote data from SQL Server, etc. I have done research and narrowed down my selection and am looking for further insight from those that have actually used these tools. Things that are also important to me include:
- Low cost (I can't afford to pay $100+ a month in fees)
- Good/Large Developer Community
- Good Support from Maker (good roadmap with improvements, bug fixes frequent, etc.)
PhoneGap - This seems like the most popular but it sounds like the "quickest" route for most web developers that are familiar with HTML and Javascript/CSS but to me it sounds like I might want something that is closer to native being that my primary core knowledge has always been as a coder first, and a web developer/designer second.
Appcellerator Titanium - This seems like the other most popular tool that claims to compile so the app uses the devices native controls (via Titanium API) instead of essentially an HTML page masquarading as an app (like PhoneGap) My gut says this one suits my situation better than Phonegap. Why do people use PhoneGap instead of this, because it's easier for non-programmers?
RhoMobile Rhodes - I am wondering how this compares to the two above assuming I learn RUBY on Rails.
Telerik Icenium (now called AppBuilder) - This one I have found the least discussion about.
I just ran across Codename One too which sounded intriguing as would require me to learn Java.
It seems most everyone (that isn't doing native) is using PhoneGap or Titanium and the second two are lesser known so I'm having a hard time finding people that has at least some brief experience using all four or five of these.
Any insight is greatly appreciated.

jazee said:
I'm wondering, based on experience witch of these people would recommend for mobile app development. (Please mention which of these you actually have experience using.)
I'm an "old school" developer and am proficient in PHP/PERL, HTML, CSS and Javascript. I don't have time to learn a new language like C# and I refuse to use Microsoft's tolls (like .NET, Visual Studio, etc.) but I would spend the time maybe to pickup up RUBY (or maybe Java) if enough benefit was there in the associated mobile app development tool.
I want as close to native as possible with 90%+ cross-platform solution, meaning, 5-10% of the source code may differ due to differences in platform. I will only be developing for Android and IOS (sorry Windows) but may develop for Windows Down the road. Some apps I may develop may be enterprise class that need to get remote data from SQL Server, etc. I have done research and narrowed down my selection and am looking for further insight from those that have actually used these tools. Things that are also important to me include:
- Low cost (I can't afford to pay $100+ a month in fees)
- Good/Large Developer Community
- Good Support from Maker (good roadmap with improvements, bug fixes frequent, etc.)
PhoneGap - This seems like the most popular but it sounds like the "quickest" route for most web developers that are familiar with HTML and Javascript/CSS but to me it sounds like I might want something that is closer to native being that my primary core knowledge has always been as a coder first, and a web developer/designer second.
Appcellerator Titanium - This seems like the other most popular tool that claims to compile so the app uses the devices native controls (via Titanium API) instead of essentially an HTML page masquarading as an app (like PhoneGap) My gut says this one suits my situation better than Phonegap. Why do people use PhoneGap instead of this, because it's easier for non-programmers?
RhoMobile Rhodes - I am wondering how this compares to the two above assuming I learn RUBY on Rails.
Telerik Icenium (now called AppBuilder) - This one I have found the least discussion about.
I just ran across Codename One too which sounded intriguing as would require me to learn Java.
It seems most everyone (that isn't doing native) is using Cordova/PhoneGap or Titanium and the second two are lesser known so I'm having a hard time finding people that has at least some brief experience using all four or five of these.
Any insight is greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both Phonegap and Appcelerator compile into a native package containing a mix of native and javascript and with both you develop your code using Javascript. As you've pointed out, one of the key differences is that Appcelerator will use the native device OS widgets rather than web widgets. In simple terms the layout is abstracted into an XML format which is then rendered into native equivalents during compilation for each of the platforms.
Depending on your application, native widgets may be important, or not. For example if you're developing a game then it could actually be advantages not to use the native widgets and have an essentially identical look and feel across all device platforms and screen aspect ratios.
The other difference is that Phonegap is free, (though their optional build service is not). Appcelerator is priced on a monthly subscription, but you also get some cloud features included in that.
Other popular cross platform tools to check out: Xamarin (native widgets, C# development, non-Free), ReactJS (native widgets, Javascript development, free-open source)

You can also try using Ionic and Cordova frameworks, They support cross-platform development and in my opinion have good documentation support

Mobile Project

Hey all!
A bunch of us have been putting together a web-based drawing app with mobile support. In a nutshell, users connect in real-time to draw or chat on a sort of interactive whiteboard. Plenty of these are made in Flash, but we are determined to build it in HTML5 (and JavaScript); a site that immediately works on mobile (because it's not Flash), tailors to everybody from drawing tablet users to people who want to screw around, chat and play games — and with an awesome, modern look that other apps lack. The thing that works so well is these kinds of programs give you a lot of freedom of expression that I think by making more accessible we can popularize, and truly get a future-proof, lasting community going.
Current drawing apps aren't too popular as they're not accessible to the host of many devices people use, chatting's not versatile or user-friendly enough to compete with chat sites, and their designs look god-awful like it's still the 90's. So with what we're after, there's insane potential in this project.
i.imgur.com/ZBz9gQi.png​
This is the interface. I hope it gives you some sense of what we're aspiring for. It's predominantly HTML, CSS, and JS with server-client communication in HTML5's WebSockets, some points in PHP, and mobile development. If you're good with any of these, message me here, Skype drawplanet or email [email protected]. I'll be more than happy to answer any questions. And if you're critical of anything, nothing's set in stone. It's very much a by the community, for the community type of project.
Also on the hunt for people good with P2P networking, node.js, SQL, or server management.​

At the moment we're hellbent on completing the first build with full-duplex drawing and mobile touch inputs.
A lot of JS goes into developing the tools. PHP's mainly account integration and forum features.
In design of course there's a separate UI for mobile, and in fact for anybody good with Photoshop or vector graphics there's some cool stuff we're keen to create.
Drop a message, or do Skype or email, if it's a project you want to get behind.

Still on the hunt. Fun project, hasn't been done before.

There's 7 devs on board at the moment, though we're looking for a little more expertise in some JavaScript frameworks, particularly Meteor. And while data's handled with WebSockets, we're also looking to do WebRTC and for incompatibility switch to WebSockets. Data management otherwise in SQL, and MongoDB or Redis.
Hit me up a message.