Reviews for iPhone Game Development (Developer Reference)

1. Not quite what i expected

   Rated 3 out of 5 stars, March 12th, 2010

   I must admit - and this may be my fault, that I expected something more from this book. It is undoubtedly a good reference for those already engaged in the business of writing apps for the iPhone, but I, as a first timer, found it impenetrable and difficult to follow. Recommended, I feel, only for those with some prior experience.

2. Very informative - but not for a beginner

   Rated 4 out of 5 stars, March 12th, 2010

   The Good
   
   Filled with useful tips and tricks - not just for coding and game development, but also for what comes after.
   
   Organised well, with a learning curve that's not too steep but not too shallow
   
   Great title for transferring existing coding skills and putting them to work in this specific environment
   
   The Bad
   
   NOT FOR BEGINNERS: The book assumes you're competent and technically skilled before you begin reading it. Essentially, this is a book that assumes you're a keen amateur coder when you pick it up. Any newcomers to coding looking to get into iPhone dev. will be lost without a trace very quickly. This isn't really a fault of the book itself - it does what it sets out to do very well: It's just important to bear in mind whether you're ready for this book before you buy it.

3. An introduction for programmers on how to make iPhone apps

   Rated 4 out of 5 stars, March 12th, 2010

   I grabbed a copy of this book to look at requirements for iPhone apps in terms of submissions to Apple, and to be honest there's little there in this regard. The process is explained but it was the requirements / rules / standards stuff that I was hoping for information on.
   
   I did scan through the rest of the book and would say that it is more of an introduction to developing for iPhone, rather than an in-depth reference guide. This looks like the sort of book someone with some programming skills (but not on iPhone) would pick up and use to translate their existing skills to this platform. Probably not much use to an experienced iPhone developer.

4. Too advanced for me

   Rated 2 out of 5 stars, March 12th, 2010

   I got this book hoping to get up and running with iphone app development. Whilst many available apps appear to be very simple, I wanted to make sure I learned as many things as possible to give me the best possible chance of coming up with something unique. Unfortunately, I think I need to take a step back and look at a "novices" book first as this one is not exactly forgiving for beginners. If you ARE experienced then this may well be worth a look, otherwise I cannot recommend.

5. An introduction to iPhone Development

   Rated 4 out of 5 stars, March 12th, 2010

   I've been interested in trying to develop an app for the iphone for a short while now, but where do you start. Hopefully this book while have the answers or at least put you on the right track. Whilst I haven't finished the book in it's entirety I'm basing this review on my impressions so far.
   
   The book starts off by introducing the App Store and a basic understanding of what an app is, points to the developers area of Apple's website where you can download the SDK and open up a developers account which will provide you with everything you need to develop and distribute your app, along with guidance and support from Apple. It then moves on to creating a basic app and progresses to slightly more advanced techniques for creating apps. It advises on what to look for when creating a potential app, things to consider in the design, the various technologies available in the iphone/ipod touch that can be taken advantage of and how best to make your app available to the world.
   
   The book does start off fairly easy but in places you can get lost in some of the jargon and it does refer you to other texts to read for some of the coding, etc behind the apps. This book won't help you create an app from scratch, but it does give you pointers and helps you along the way. There are links to sample code that you can use in designing your own apps, which you can then modify as you choose.
   
   If you're looking for a book to introduce you to iPhone App development that touches on the basics and guides you in the general direction of what to look for and where to get help, etc then I recommend this book. Certain chapters certainly peaked my interest, but there is not enough here to keep an avid app developer interested. For good app development and understanding of coding and other such technical details you will have to move on to other books.