Android phone, platform for computer science lessons

[NikChillin]

Hi, We would like to build mobile phone apps in our lessons but don't want the kids bricking their own devices. I was thinking of approaching some mobile phone companies to see if they would gift us some old phones but wondered if anyone had any other ideas?

[Ergo]

You could ask some of the WEEE recycling companies or mobile phone recycling companies? All they have to do is ensure they are not delivered to landfill so re-use is a good option for them.

 

Dave

[CyberNerd]

The MIT Appinventor uses the android emulator. We use this but also allow the students to download the apps they create to their phones.

 

MIT App Inventor

[NikChillin]

The MIT Appinventor uses the android emulator. We use this but also allow the students to download the apps they create to their phones.

 

MIT App Inventor

We hope to use that too, will see if I can get it working in the new year.

[adhutton]

MobiOne design studio is quite good. Its not free, but fairly cheap.

 

http://www.genuitec.com/mobile/

 

It does Apple iPhones/iPads and Android phones/tablets.

 

Andrew

[NikChillin]

$100, Shame, we can only get free stuff........

[Arthur]

Jar of Beans might be worth a try. It's a free portable Android VM running Jelly Bean v4.1.1 which supports both x86 and ARM apps and has HAXM* and GPU acceleration (among many other things).

 

* Installing the bundled HAXM (Hardware Accelerated Execution Manager) driver makes a huge difference in terms of speed so it's definitely worth doing if your PCs have Intel CPUs and support VT-x.

Edited January 11, 2013 by Arthur

[NikChillin]

Thanks, I'll give it a go

[NikChillin]

The MIT Appinventor uses the android emulator. We use this but also allow the students to download the apps they create to their phones.

 

MIT App Inventor

 

I'm trying to get this to work now and am experiencing permission issues, do you give the students access to the c: drive? I assume they are also allowed their Gmail which we currently block.