Is it worthwile to learn Java ME? [closed]

Question

I have seen many people writing that Java ME (J2ME) is dying. Is it true? What is its future? Should I learn Java ME if I want to create apps for smartphones? If yes, where to start?

Alabama

Answer 1

If I were you, I'd start learning to write apps for Android and iPhone.

Java ME may not be entirely dead, but you'll do much better with these. The potential market for your products is much bigger and keeps getting even bigger, and I bet it would be a lot more fun, too.

Glover

"Potential market for your products is much bigger"? How do you figure? The installed base for J2ME is far higher than Droid and iPhone combined. – Frau

@funkybro: You asked a pretty good question! Please note the word potential it means that these technologies might reach that number in due time (i.e. while OP becomes proficient in them) and I fairly doubt that already established installed base of J2ME would change further (because of Android and iPhone hype). – Glover

Answer 2

I've been developing for J2ME/Java-Me for several years and now I see based on download statistics of my applications, most of downloads (90%) comes from developing countries. So if your target users are not from Western countries - go ahead learn J2ME, otherwise learn Android and/or iPhone.

Colobus

Answer 3

I used to develop for j2me . I think it all depends on demand. Right now, i mostly get demands for iphone apps. Android is also making its way but i'd say for every 10 iphone/ipad apps, I get about 2-3 android apps and maybe 1 j2me app. Oh and that's in the uK. It all depends on you. If you want to freelance, I'd say go and learn objective c . It is a very simple language and simpler than JAVA imo.

Gateshead

Answer 4

Nowadays many phones support J2ME.So it is very usefull.J2ME does not need hight cost configurations so many phones support it.Not only phones lot of small devices support J2ME.So J2ME is dying is wrong sentence.J2ME is growing. If u think only in mobile circles then u get a view that J2ME is dying but if u think in the view of real world then u understand the need of J2ME.Today many devices such as set-top boxes,home applainces,wirless phones,etc uses/support J2ME. J2ME also had many job oppurtunities.

At present in smart phone market the Android,Blackberry,IPhone are grows larger than J2ME.
But some of the points,libraries,concepts,etc in J2ME are used in Blackberry,Android,etc.
J2ME is very old and it will enable the ground for the modern Smart Phone technology such as Android,Blackberry,etc.

Thanks & Regards, Sivakumar.J

Coffeepot

Answer 5

Depends on which phones you want to target, as you have mentioned smartphones rather than feature phones, I would suggest Android, especially if you are already coming from a Java background, otherwise either iOS (iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad) or Android, as these are far more enjoyable for a developer and have far far better documentation and example open source applications available for them as well as being able to deploy and debug on device relatively painlessly

Didactic

Answer 6

Don't forget that the expected UI polish of Android and iPhone apps is far higher than MIDlets. This takes a lot of time and effort to create.

Frau

This argument is that it is better to write MIDlets because it is less effort to do so. I don't know about OP, but had I used that reasoning I'd still be writing console apps. I mean, who wants to bother with all that user-friendliness. – Glover