I think it really helps to have some history programming the Mac if you take up the iPhone. While much of the work is threading together widgets, just as with all of the other frameworks, there will be moments that remind you why C is called machine-independent assembly code. Java programmers will need to remember that the data is dynamically typed, then spend a few minutes relearning how to allocate and free memory because it's their job.
Samuel Kass, a programmer who created a Chess Clock for the iPhone, says, "There are lots of little gotchas, and as someone who's used to Java, it's frustrating to have to go back to worrying about explicit memory allocation." There are major APIs for all of the cool features. If you want a picture, you can grab an image from the camera. If you want to know which way the device is moving, you can query the accelerometer. These APIs are pretty low-level, and it's a long path between getting the acceleration vector and any usable UI. One programmer joked that once you find out the acceleration, it's a snap to write Super Monkey Ball.
Developers are also chafing at Apple's decision to allow the iPhone to run only one application at once. If you're used to relying on the operating system to swap out your application and keep it out of the way while someone starts up another one, you can start learning what life was like before the Mac came with MultiFinder. This rule probably has some utility because it forces developers to consciously give up control and save their work -- something everyone should be doing already. But it means more coding for developers, and you won't be able to blame someone else when your app crashes. The competing platforms, though, can sense the vibe flowing through the community, and they're emphasizing the fact that their phones can handle more than one task at once.
It's worth noting that there's a great deal of confusion over the breadth of Apple's nondisclosure agreement. One developer who was offered a chance to talk about his iPhone software wanted to check with a lawyer. Some of the development documentation that used to be more public is now locked behind a wall that requires you to log in.
All these hurdles are manageable for those who want to make cute applications and sell them through Apple's store. As long as you cross your fingers and avoid the big landmines -- porn, bandwidth hogging, competing with Apple -- you'll probably be fine. But nothing is certain because even Google saw its iPhone application delayed at birth.
The iPhone marketplace is a great innovation -- if your end-user is a customer who will use iTunes to download it and install it. The sales numbers are phenomenal, and Apple's done a nice job making it easy for developers to push a button and watch the money roll in. Some wonder if the flood of applications is driving prices to zero because many developers seem to cut costs frequently, but that's life with a free market.
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Download now »As a developer trying to make sense of migrating to the 2 inch screen, this article was a valuable resource. Guess write-once-delivery-many Applications is off the table.
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