Jason Tyler (2)

As of August, 2001, Google's "App Inventor" has been discontinued by Google. However, the inventor of this application, Hal Abelson, will be taking this product under the wing of the MIT Media Lab. It's not clear if some of the URLs referenced in the book will change or not, but be aware of this (August 2011).

This is one of the clearest and best written introductory guides to a specific online software package/environment that I have ever read. Tyler is systematic and thorough in walking the show more reader through the various projects. Each project builds a larger skill set and understanding of Android apps. Normally you will hook up your Android phone to the same computer you are using to do the projects in this book, but I had little problem using my non-standard Android Wi-Fi tablet to do most of the projects. I used the App Inventor phone emulator to test the apps online, then downloaded the .apk files of the projects directly to my tablet. The apps work quite nicely, thank you.

While using this book, it is essential to understand that the application being taught, App Inventor, should not be confused with the book. Complaints should be differentiated between the application and this book and its author. App Inventor is a quirky, barely post-beta web based application. It is particularly strong as an introduction to programming concepts, using Android apps in particular. As a teaching tool, this could easily be used in middle school, and higher classes. If you intend to do that, I don't hesitating in giving this book five stars for being an outstanding resource in this regard.

Note: The reviewer received a free copy of this book for review via the Amazon Vine program. show less