I'm sorry for this speed bump post in a forum of professionals, but I want to learn to make applications.
I went to the "App development Get started" page of the blackberry site, and I couldn't find information on how much money this is going to take to get started. Certainly, I'm not to expect that I can learn all this stuff for free???
Please help me out, I need to know how much capital I'll need.
Teaching yourself Java can be done for free, if needed.
Getting competent in Java can be done for free.
The BB SDK and libraries are free.
The only point where you might have to pay money is to use any of the signed libraries; you have to pay a fee to RIM to get access to the keys, but you can write many apps without needing these keys.
It's $20USD for a signing key. As far as I know, you only need one and you can release as many apps as you want.
Also note that the key is only required for certain features like accessing GPS information, cryptographic libraries, and others. Also, the key is only needed to release your app for use on Blackberry devices. You are more than welcome to write your apps and run them in the simulators with no costs at all. Then, if you want to release your apps you can purchase a key.
Key is $ 20 and good for like 2,000,000 sigs...
There are a couple really good books on java at amazon, and one of the better forums on the net is JavaRanch - A Friendly Place for Java Greenhorns.
The sun site is also full of a lot of resources.
Also, the key is only needed to release your app for use on Blackberry devices.
To clarify, if your app does NOT use signed libraries, you do NOT need a key to make your app work on devices. If it DOES use signed libraries, you DO need a key.
This is so cool. What I'm understanding is that writing applications for smart phones is a burgeoning market, and blackberry and such are trying to get as many people in the business as they can.
