Android Application Development: Programming with the Google SDK Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was expecting a lot more from this book, considering my respect for ORA. I was expecting something with the rigor of K&R and got something on par with "... For Dummies". The book presents the obligatory "hello world", discusses it briefly, and then plops a fully complete application on the reader's lap. Instead of building the application up from the ground, the book explains how the full application works. I'm not a neophyte developer; I could garner the same knowledge from looking at one of the open source Android applications (like the many apps in the source tree). I was hoping for a walkthrough for an unfamiliar environment, but rather received a technical review of a finished application. Most unhelpful. Here's hoping ORA realizes how this book failed and reinvent it in a second edition.

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New Perspectives on Computer Concepts, 10th Edition, Comprehensive (New Perspectives Series) Review

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(More customer reviews)The authors do an excellent job of laying out basic computer concepts in easy format. Would recommend it. The other books on special software was not explaining the basics to me. I guess I expected too much.
Catfish

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Android Programming Tutorials, 2nd Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)My only complaint is the page numbers are in the center and makes it harder when searching for a specific page.
Otherwise the book has some good code examples in it that helps fill in the gaps on the SDK examples. It has already helped answer a couple of questions I had without having to go write code to test things out to see how they work.

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Android Programming Tutorials show you what you can do with Android, through a series of 40 individual exercises. Android Programming Tutorials gives you hands-on instruction in how to build sophisticated Android applications, using many of the technologies outlined in CommonsWare's other Android books.These exercises lead you through the basics of creating Android applications, all the way through many fun Android features like Internet access, location tracking, maps, integrated WebKit browsers, cameras, accelerometers, home screen widgets, and much more. Full source code to all the exercise answers is available, to help you if you get stuck. Android Programming Tutorials makes an excellent companion volume to more traditional Android books that merely tell you what is possible.

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Core J2ME Technology Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this book about two months ago when my company was starting a J2ME project. I read the first 6 chapters page for page as an introduction and then used the rest of the book as a reference. I now consider myself a proficient J2ME programmer.
I've used the book mostly as a reference and I have found that the way the chapters are laid out makes it very easy to find whatever information I'm looking for. The chapters on Record Stores are particularly useful.
One reviewer said to just read the online docs. CDLC and MIDP are not very difficult technologies to become proficient at but the documentation online will make it much harder on you. If you don't mind wasting hours of time to save [money] on this book thats fine. But if your time is valuable like mine break down and make the investment. This book and the JavaDocs will be all you need to start professional apps in J2ME.

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With Nokia alone announcing deployment of 150 million phones running Sun's J2ME and Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP), developer interest in these technologies is enormous. Now, there's an authoritative, example-rich technical resource that will enable every Java developer to build robust applications for any J2ME mobile device -- fast. Written by one of the world's most experienced Java developers and trainers, this hands-on book teaches J2ME and MIDP using more than 50 well-designed examples -- all of them clearly commented, thoroughly explained, and available for download on the Web. Core J2ME Technology covers everything a developer needs to get results. John Muchow begins with an overview of the J2ME, including configurations and profiles; then walks you through creating your complete J2ME development environment -- from downloading J2ME to troubleshooting. The book then provides exhaustive coverage of the MIDP programming interface: the basics of the MIDlet application lifecycle; event handling; low-level components; persistent storage; networking (including communication with servlets and session management); and more.The book also contains comprehensive references to both key elements of J2ME: MIDP and the Connected Limited Device Configuration (CLDC) specification. For all experienced Java developers who want to create mobile applications with J2ME.

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J2ME in a Nutshell (O'Reilly Java) Review

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(More customer reviews)J2ME in a Nutshell is exactly that. Coming in at 432 pages, this book packs of lot of information into not a lot of space. It is probably not the best book on the market for learning J2ME, but there is so much information in here that it is worth reading, even if it is your first J2ME book. The book is fairly complete, although it does have limited CDC information, as most CDC profiles were still in the JCP at the time of writing. Still, there is a great deal of valuable information in the book, and it will serve quite well as a desktop reference.
The book is organized well, leading the user through the CLDC, and the most popular CLDC profile, MIDP. I particularly appreciate the way MIDP has been separated into various parts, making it easier to find the specific information I want. In addition, I also liked the extra sections dealing with J2ME specific tools, and how to load J2ME applications onto Palm OS, something many other books fail to deal with.
In all, this book may not be the only J2ME book I need, but it will doubtless be one that I refer to repeatedly as I develop with this platform.

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J2ME: The Complete Reference Review

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(More customer reviews)This book should be retitled as MIDPand JDBC:The complete reference. It is in NO way a complete reference for J2ME.
If you are looking a book on using the MIDP profile, this is as comprehensive as a book can get.It has complete code listings to explain each concept and has extensive coverage of the MIDP API's.
J2ME also consists of CDC profile that is used to write J2ME applications for wireless devices that are NOT memory constrained. When one clainms that they are creating a complete reference for J2ME, they cannot leave out CDC. This book does not even devote 1 chapter to explain CDC which is such a crucial part of J2ME. Instead the author wastes space and piles on chapters by explaining JDBC and web services.
Buy this book if you want to learn only MIDP, else this one is not for you.

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J2ME allows developers to use Java and the J2ME wireless toolkit to create applications and programs for wireless and mobile devices. This is the most comprehensive resource for Java developers seeking to understand and utilise J2ME when building mobile applications and services. - Understand the core fundamentals of J2ME - Discover what makes J2ME unique with coverage on advanced topics like Mobile Information Device Profile (MIDP) and Connected Limited Device Configuration (CLDC) - Comprehend how to build robust mobile applications with examples on J2ME supported software development kits, databases, web services, and more - Learn from other people's mistakes with coverage on J2ME Best Practices and security

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Java ME Game Programming Review

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(More customer reviews)This book has little to do with game programming. It's a book about MIDP 2.0 programming with Java ME for building mobile applications (using GUI controls). The last three chapters (which are quite small) touch on tiles and sprites. So basically you've got a 400+ page book while only about 50 pages is actually about programming mobile games? I would have STARTED the book with chapter 13 and moved on from there into various game topics, instead of ENDING there and doing a poor job of it. The example game in the last chapter was designed for the old 128x128 screens and is probably about 4-5 years old (with 8x8 sprites) which is unacceptable for a book released in 2007 with this title. This is a GOOD book on MIDP 2.0 programming...if you ignore the "game" part of the title. I used this book to teach a course on the subject, but will need to find another for next semester.


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Get ready to create your own J2ME game! This updated edition to the popular J2ME Game Programming provides updated sofware coverage as well as updates to the programming approaches specific to Java ME software. It also covers the recent innovations in mobile games with relations to iPods and cell phones. You will learn the essentials of J2ME game development from the ground up. Throughout the book you will discover the issues involved in developing for multiple target devices and how to work through the jungle of device-specific libraries and device capabilities. Working on a limited platform it is important to squeeze as much as you can out of those precious bytes, so in this book you will find the tools and source code you need to get the most out of the constrained resources. You will also learn how to structure your code and classes to achieve as small an application footprint as possible. As you work toward developing your own J2ME game, you'll examine the game lifecycle, how to handle resources, various methods of drawing to the screen, optimizing memory usage, handling the users input, and even sharing high-scores online! Previous experience in programming object-oriented languages and a basic level of math skills is recommended.

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Programming Mobile Devices: An Introduction for Practitioners Review

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(More customer reviews)The biggest feature of this book is how you need to get accustomed to the limited resources on a cellphone, compared to a laptop or personal computer. Many programmers will come to mobile devices from developing on the latter 2 platforms. Still, if you have been programming long enough, the cellphone environments described in the text can be akin to working on the PCs of the 1980s.
It is a pity that there are two programming languages needed for cellphones. The book has examples drawn from Java and Symbian. The Java code is simpler than Java programs written for larger environments. The widget set is very limited. The Symbian examples are likewise easy to follow. What it does mean is that any commercial examples you develop have to be manually coded into both languages, if you are after the largest possible market.

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With forewords by Jan Bosch, Nokia and Antero Taivalsaari, Sun Microsystems.
Learn how to programme the mobile devices of the future!
The importance of mobile systems programming has emerged over the recent years as a new domain in software development. The design of software that runs in a mobile device requires that developers combine the rules applicable in embedded environment; memory-awareness, limited performance, security, and limited resources with features that are needed in workstation environment; modifiability, run-time extensions, and rapid application development.
Programming Mobile Devices is a comprehensive, practical introduction to programming mobile systems. The book is a platform independent approach to programming mobile devices: it does not focus on specific technologies, and devices, instead it evaluates the component areas and issues that are common to all mobile software platforms. This text will enable the designer to programme mobile devices by mastering both hardware-aware and application-level software, as well as the main principles that guide their design.
Programming Mobile Devices:
Provides a complete and authoritative overview of programming mobile systems.
Discusses the major issues surrounding mobile systems programming; such as understanding of embedded systems and workstation programming.
Covers memory management, the concepts of applications, dynamically linked libraries, concurrency, handling local resources, networking and mobile devices as well as security features.
Uses generic examples from JavaTM and Symbian OS to illustrate the principles of mobile device programming.

Programming Mobile Devices is essential reading for graduate and advanced undergraduate students, academic and industrial researchers in the field as well as software developers, and programmers.

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Android Programming Tutorials, 3rd Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)Excellent book. Several chapters will build upon the same sample application and will explain each new piece of code. When later chapters don't fit the current sample application, it will start with a new sample application. One doesn't need to "follow along from chapter to chapter" as each chapter introduces new ideas and also has ability to download the code. I for one didn't code up any of the samples but simply followed along the explanations and applied the concepts and methods to my own application. It would have been nice if it went into depth on database handling and patterns as that seems to be troublesome for me if you don't follow the exact pattern as described. Other than that, great book to get you up and running quickly.

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Enterprise J2ME: Developing Mobile Java Applications Review

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(More customer reviews)I go to Java Users Groups (yes, I'm struggling to get in touch with my inner geek) once every two or three months. Sometimes there's an engaging speaker, but most of the time the fellow up front looks like he's just swallowed a hot pepper, speaks like he has a permanent stutter, and answers questions like I'm speaking Greek. (I'm not making fun; I had a hard time when I was in front of a JUG too.) Regardless of the quality of the speaker, I gain something just by watching the presentation--he points out interesting technologies and usually has a list of resources at the end that I can use for further research.
I think Michael Yuan would be a great speaker at a JUG, as he seems to have a masterful understanding of Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (J2ME). However, the true value of his book, Enterprise J2ME, was in its introduction of new ideas and concepts, and the extensive resource listings. This book is a survey of the current state of the art in mobile java technology. Whatever your topic is, except for gaming development, you'll find some coverage here. Securing information on the device or network, XML parsing strategies, messaging architectures, and data synchronization issues are all some of the topics that Yuan covers.
My favorite chapter was Chapter 7, 'End to End Best Practices.' Here, Yuan covers some of the things he's learned in developing his own enterprise applications, and offers some solutions to five issues that differ between the J2ME world and the worlds familiar to most Java developers: J2EE and J2SE. He offers capsule solutions to the issues of "limited device hardware, slow unreliable networks, pervasive devices, ubiquitous integration [and] the impatient user." Later in the book, he explores various architectures to expand on some of these capsules.
However, the strength of this book, exposing the reader to a number of different mobile technologies, is also its weakness. JUG speakers very rarely dive into a technology to the point that I feel comfortable using it without additional research; I usually have to go home, download whatever package was presented, and play with it a bit to get a real feel for its usefulness. This book was much the same. Some of the chapters, like chapters 12 and 13, where issues with databases on mobile devices (CDC devices, not CLDC devices) weren't applicable to my kind of development, but you can hardly fault Yuan for that. Some of the later chapters felt like a series of 'hello world' applications for various vendors. This is especially true of chapter 12, and also of chapter 20, which is a collection of recipes for encryption on the device.
Additionally, I feel like some of the points he raised in Chapter 7 are never fully dealt with. An example of this is section 7.3.3, "Optimize for many devices." The project I'm on is struggling with this right now, but I had trouble finding any further advice on this important topic beyond this one paragraph section. However, these small issues don't take away from the overall usefulness of the book--if you are developing enterprise software, you'll learn enough from this book to make its purchase worthwhile.
However, I wouldn't buy the book if you're trying to learn J2ME. Yuan gives a small tutorial on basic J2ME development in Appendix A, but you really need an entire book to learn the various packages, processes and UI concerns of J2ME, whether or not you have previously programmed in Java. Additionally, if you're trying to program a standalone game, this book isn't going to have a lot to offer you, since Yuan doesn't spend a lot of time focused on UI concerns and phone compatibility issues. Some of the best practices about limited hardware may be worth reading, and if it's a networked game, however, you may gain from his discussions in Chapter 6, "Advanced HTTP Techniques." In general though, I'm not sure there's enough to make it worth a game developer's while.
I bought this book because I'm working on a networked J2ME application, and it stands alone in its discussion of the complex architectural issues that such applications face. It covers more than that, and isn't perfect, but it is well worth the money, should you be facing the kind of problems I am. Indeed, I wish I had had this book months ago, as I'm sure it would have improved the my current application.

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Mobile enterprise information systems will soon be one of the major applications of wireless technology. Java 2 Micro Edition is poised to be an important platform for developing wireless enterprise applications. Enterprise wireless applications allow workers to access crucial business information from any place at any time. This book covers the design, architecture, tools and development methodology for the Web Services that will be the killer app for this very promising platform. The author explains the value of mobile commerce and discusses architecture and system design considerations. This book explains not only API usages but also the designs behind the APIs so that you can learn how to extend those technologies for your custom requirements!

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Bluetooth Application Programming with the Java APIs Essentials Edition (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Networking) Review

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(More customer reviews)Although it doesn't say so on the cover, this is actually a second edition of a book by the same name and the same authors. The first edition was good, but this technology moves quickly and a new edition was needed. There is plenty of practical instruction and lots of helpful figures in the book which, quite honesty, is often lacking in books published by Morgan Kaufmann - they tend to be a bit on the academic side. Plus the book has a website where there is plenty of additional code plus the javex.bluetooth and java.obex packages available for download. Also note that the old edition of the book has about two hundred more pages than this new edition. That's because much of what was previously in the book has been moved to the website, primarily code. The following is the table of contents for the new edition:
Ch 1: Introduction
Ch 2: An Overview of JABWT
Ch 3: High Level Architecture
Ch 4: RFCOMM
Ch 5: OBEX
Ch 6: Device Discovery
Ch 7: Service Discovery
Ch 8: L2CAP
Ch 9: Bluetooth and the Push Registry
Just because some of the chapter titles are the same doesn't mean the content is the same. Everything has been updated and so far it looks like a worthwhile purchase.

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Pro Android 3 Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a really good book on Android development.
I have been extensively programming in java for a few years. Recently
I was reading about a CIO summit in our area and each of the CIOs talked about
how significant the new mobile devices are for banking, transportation
and healthcare.
I wanted to see how to quickly gain expertise in the mobile space to
my already well established enterprise skills.
This book has pointed out that I can be up and running with Android
very quickly even without buying a single android device. I could walk
through almost all the examples of this book through the emulator.
I also like the fact that most of the chapters (except for a couple at
the begining) are stand alone. Each chapter has working examples that
have been specifically developed for that chapter with few
pre-requisites. I am able to download the zip files for each chapter
so that I can import them directly into eclipse. Then I am able to
read through the chapter and look at the working example
simultaneously to make the most of it.
If you look at the google android developer website you see that
android offers an extensive set of APIs. I do find the android
documentation on the android site very good. However I needed a book
that is a bit more organized and take me from concept to concept in a
meaningful manner.
By comparison I can see that this book covers a number of android
basic features that include intents, resources, menus, dialogs,
controls, services, security, preferences, activities, and content
providers. Some of these concepts are very unique to Android. The
authors have gone into a lot of detail while covering these topics. I
must say this strengthened my appreciation of Android as a full
fledged programming platform.
I am also very pleased with the coverage of Android internals that
include processes, threads, handlers, asynchronous tasks, broadcast
receivers, wake locks, long running services, notification manager
etc.
I have always wanted to see what it means to program in opengl. This
book provides an excellent introduction to opengl including the opengl
es 2.0. Be warned though that this is not an extensive guide on
OpenGL. You may have to buy a 500 page book just to do justice to all
the intricacies of OpenGL. This book does have references to further
material that you can read on OpenGL. The animation chapter is really
fun to read. The other advanced topics covered include maps,
telephony, sensors, media.
The coverage on the contacts api is extensive and good.
It is really surprising how quickly this book was released with
coverage for tablets only after a month or two of the honeycomb
release.
Finally for a senior programmer this book goes into how to dive into
the android sdk source code right in the introductory chapter. I found
this really useful when I am not sure how a particular functionality
works when the SDK documentation is not clear.
As I have listed so many things this book covers it is fair to list a
few things that it does not cover. Game programmign is not covered at
all. Live Wall Paper topic is not covered. If you are thinking of
using Bluetooth API to write cool applications it is not covered
either.
But I am really happy with the book because I am able to gain a broad
picture of the Android SDK. I am able to understand its architecture.
I am able to explore its advanced APIs. I am left with a lot
references to supporting material in each chapter.
Excellent in all and all.
Oh, one more thing! The supplemental website that supports this book
androidbook.com seem to contain a lot of the working notes of authors
in addition to their future research on Android SDK.

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Pro Android 3 shows you how to build real-world and fun mobile applications using the new Android 3.0 SDK. It covers everything from the fundamentals of building apps for embedded devices, phones, and tablets to advanced concepts such as custom 3D components and multi-tasking. Using the tutorials and expert advice, you'll quickly be able to build cool mobile apps and run them on dozens of Android-based smartphones. You'll explore and use the Android APIs, including those for media and sensors. And you'll check out what's new with Android 3.0, including the improved UI across all Android platforms, integration with services, and more, giving you the knowledge to create stunning, cutting-edge apps, while keeping you agile enough to respond to changes in the future. What you'll learn
How to use Android to build Java-based mobile applications for Google phones with a touch screen or keyboard
How to design and implement irresistible user interfaces for touchscreens with Views and layouts
How to populate your application with data from data sources, using Content Providers
How to create 3D graphics with OpenGL and custom components
How to build multimedia and game apps using Android's Media APIs and OpenGL
How to use Android's location-based services, network-based services, and security
How to use new Android 3.0 features, such as Fragments and the ActionBar
Who this book is forThis book is for professional software engineers/programmers looking to move their ideas and applications into the mobile space with Android. It assumes a passable understanding of Java, including how to write classes and handle basic inheritance structures. Table of Contents
Introducing the Android Computing Platform
Setting up your Development Environment
Understanding Resources
Understanding Content Providers
Understanding Intents
Building User Interfaces and Using Controls
Adding Menus
Implementing Dialogs
Working with Preferences and Saving State
Security and Permissions
Working with Services
Exploring Packages, Processes, and Library Projects
Exploring Processes, Components, Threads, and Handlers
Exploring Broadcast Receivers and Long Running Services
Exploring the Alarm Manager
Unveiling 2D Animation
Exploring Maps and Location Services
Using the Telephony APIs
Understanding the Media Frameworks
Programming 3D Graphics with OpenGL
Exploring Live Folders
Home Screen Widgets and Live Wallpaper
Android Search
Exploring Text to Speech and the Google Translate API
Touchscreens
Using Sensors
Understanding the Contact API
Deploying your Application: Android Market and Beyond
Fragments
Action Bar
Selected Topics in Android 3.0

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Android Application Development For Dummies Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm going to preface this review by saying that I have been programming for about 15 years, and have been working professionally as a developer for almost 3 years. My background is in VB, C#, Javascript, HTML, and even a little dabbling in C/C++. With that in mind, my Java knowledge was essentially everything I had learned from C# (which is very similar), and the tutorials on Google's Android development website. You could argue Javascript may help, but they're so different that I don't think it counts as experience.
I finished all of the tutorials on Google's site and still felt like I wasn't really grasping the concept of Android development. For those of you who have developed in C#/VB for Windows or Windows Mobile, you may understand what I mean when I say that going from something so straight-forward as using Visual Studio and .NET languages to something a little more complex and code-heavy like C++ or Java while using an unfamiliar IDE like Eclipse can be a little daunting at first. Google's tutorials, while full of great examples, don't really take the time to explain the "why" and then "what" of Android development, and instead have a more confusing approach of "Step 1: Type all this code in; Step 2: That code you just type does [this]; Step 3: Run your application".
The first half of this book is incredibly informative, and after reading only a couple short paragraphs on things I've already tried to learn and failed, I really understood it this time. The author's tone and descriptions make even the most complicated topics very easy to understand. The author also likes to commonly encourage the reader, writing that we are "experts", and making assumptions that we understand what we just read, even after it was some insanely complicated thing that was described in detail across four pages. It seems like this approach might be little odd, but I liked it. It kept my confidence up as I was reading.
The second half of the book, while also great, starts a little on the fast track. There are other reviews that mention this, and although I partially agree, it's also worth mentioning that a lot of the things that are flown through quickly come together a little later in the book. However, the pace does seem to go from a "one line at a time" methodology into a "type these 60 lines of code in and I'll explain it later" sort of teaching. While I don't prefer this, and I think it's a bit messy, the information IS there; it's just harder to soak it all in than it was in the first half of the book. The application you are building at the end is quite large, and I have tried to think of an easier way the author could have filled me with the knowledge instead of the approach taken, but I really couldn't think of a better way, mainly due to the way the code has to be written for the particular task at hand.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I think it was a great introduction to Android development, and is leaps and bounds above Google's documentation, at least for a beginner. I wish the book was a little longer, and I wish the author didn't frequently say things like "I could write an entire book on [subject], so I won't go into detail about this. If you want to learn more, read the documentation at [Google link]." For these reasons, I gave it four stars instead of five. The fundamentals do exist in this book, but I would have liked to have seen more.
I would recommend this book for anyone with any sort of programming background looking to get into Android development. I would probably not recommend it to someone who has no programming background whatsoever.


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The fun and friendly guide to creating applications on the Android platform
The popularity of the Android market is soaring with no sign of slowing down. The open nature of the Android OS offers programmers the freedom to access the platform's capabilities and this straightforward guide walks you through the steps for creating amazing Android applications. Android programming expert Donn Felker explains how to download the SDK, get Eclipse up and running, code Android applications, and submit your finished products to the Android Market. Featuring two sample programs, this introductory book explores everything from the simple basics to more advanced aspects of the Android platform.
Takes you soup through nuts of developing applications for the Android platform
Begins with downloading the SDK, then explains how to code Android applications and submit projects to the Android Market
Written by Android guru Donn Felker, who breaks every aspect of developing applications for the Android platform into easily digestible pieces

No matter your level of programming experience, Android Application Development For Dummies is an ideal guide for getting started with developing applications for the Android platform.

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Beginning J2ME Platform: From Novice to Professional Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)J2ME is a jungle of configurations, profiles, and APIs. A beginner's book might soar over the jungle like an exotic bird, pretty but insubstantial. Such a book would see everything from a 20,000 foot view. You'd see the lay of the land, but wouldn't get your feet wet.
Another approach would be for the authors to grab their machetes and start hacking their way in, following a particular path. You'd get all dirty and sweaty and get a lot of experience, but not necessarily understand exactly how you got there.
This book decidedly takes this latter path. After a brief introductory chapter, it concentrates on the core APIs and the most commonly implemented configuration and device profile. Although there's plenty of practical information on tools and lots of code examples, as a reader unfamiliar with J2ME, and someone who doesn't own a Java-enabled phone, I felt disoriented. As an introduction to J2ME programming, I felt the book was lacking in background and motivations.
Striking a balance between the two approaches I described might be a fool's errand. Therefore you would probably need one book from each category to really get involved in J2ME development.

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Learning Wireless Java Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is an excellent introduction to J2ME for experienced Java developers. The book does what it intends to do very well, but the topic coverage is less than complete because it limits itself to the CLDC configuration and the MIDP profile. Granted, this is the most popular branch of development for J2ME, but there is more to J2ME than the MIDP profile. Within this limitation, it does a good job of providing a basic, clear, and working understanding of the Java classes involved with MIDP programming. Intermediate and advanced J2ME programmers should look elsewhere for help as this book is aimed squarely at J2ME beginners.
The organization of the book follows standard conventions for Java books, starting with basic functionality, then GUI classes, then event handling. There is an API reference at the end of the book, which usually indicates the author is trying to pad the book, but I think it is appropriate here. It only adds 60 pages to the book, and it made it easier to read the material when I was away from a computer. Unfortunately, the book was only 169 pages without it, and I felt that it should have addressed some areas more in depth.
A good book for someone looking to learn J2ME and a handy quick reference, but as you advance, you'll outgrow this one.

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Sams Teach Yourself Wireless Java with J2ME in 21 Days Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I knew a little bit of Java, and I found this book very good. J2ME is explained pretty good, and the examples are easy to follow. I have developed several applications that I use after reading this book.
If there is anything that is missing in this book, it would probably be an Appendix with a better description of the different APIs.
It is a very good book for anyone that wants to learn J2ME, but might be a little boring if you already have J2ME experience. However, if you buy a "Teach Yourself .... in 21 days" book, you are probably not an experienced programmer in the language anyway.

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Sams Teach Yourself Wireless Java with J2ME in 21 Days begins by establishing the basic parameters of J2ME development and its uses in building wireless applications. The tutorial chapters introduce both text and graphical application development for typical wireless devices. Finally, the book presents the major types of applications that the wireless developer will build-information management, communications, games, etc. The book also introduces the basic concepts of networking wireless devices through Java.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Pro J2ME Polish: Open Source Wireless Java Tools Suite Review

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(More customer reviews)When you first learn J2ME, you learn about this fantasy world where all devices follow the J2ME specification to a tee. But in the real world, because of the interpretive nature of the specifications, no two devices really implement the specification exactly the same. So this requires either targeting a particular device or have many versions of you app to run on different devices.
Man what a pain. But that is where J2ME Polish comes to the rescue. J2ME Polish provides pre-compiler directives to allow you to write code such that J2ME Polish's build script can automatically create different versions for you on the fly however you want. There is a lot more to J2ME Polish than just that, but this is a book review.
So let's get to that review. Well, first Robert Virkus is J2ME Polish, well he is the architect and lead programmer for J2ME Polish. Who better to write a book about it? Consider this book the hard copy of the manual for J2ME Polish. If you are going to use J2ME Polish, then this book is a must. It is the reference book that you will need to find anything you need to know about J2ME Polish.
Now, it isn't really a read all the way through the book and you can be J2ME Polish expert. You really need to be actually using J2ME Polish at the time, to better grasp what is being explained. The book can be hard to understand, not because of the writing, but because J2ME Polish is feature rich and there is lots to learn.
I highly recommend using J2ME Polish and buying this book if you will be developing for more than one device, and also to get their cool looking GUI screens, rather than MIDP 2.0 High Level GUIs.

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