What is Android?

Beginning Android Gingerbread, Part 1

Beginning Android Gingerbread, Part 4

Q:

1. What is Android?
2. What is Dalvik?
3. What is Gingerbread?
4. What operating systems does Gingerbread/2.3.3 support?
5. Does Gingerbread/2.3.3 support Java SE 6 APIs?
6. Identify the three directories that are initially stored in the android-sdk-windows home directory.
7. What is the difference between the SDK Manager and android tools?
8. What does the emulator tool accomplish?
9. When you start SDK Manager, what dialog boxes are presented?
10. Which package is installed by default?
11. What additional packages need to be installed so that you can develop with Gingerbread/2.3.3?
12. Identify the directories that are added to android-sdk-windows as a result of installing Gingerbread/2.3.3. 

A:

1. Android is Google's operating system for mobile devices. It consists of an application framework, libraries, and a Dalvik
   virtual machine-based runtime environment that collectively run on top of a modified Linux kernel.

2. Dalvik is a non-Java virtual machine that's based on processor registers instead of a stack. It was created by Google
   employee Dan Bornstein, who named Dalvik after an Icelandic fishing village from where some of his ancestors originated.

3. Gingerbread is the nickname for version 2.3 of the Android platform and its 2.3.1 and 2.3.3 successors.

4. Gingerbread/2.3.3 supports the Windows XP (32-bit), Vista (32- or 64-bit), Windows 7 (32- or 64-bit), Mac OS X 10.5.8 or
   later (x86 only), and Linux (tested on Ubuntu Linux, Lucid Lynx) operating systems.

5. Gingerbread/2.3.3 does not support Java SE 6 APIs.

6. The three directories that are initially stored in the android-sdk-windows home directory are add-ons, platforms, and
   tools.

7. The difference between the SDK Manager and android tools is that SDK Manager lets you create AVDs, install SDK components,
   and more via a graphical user interface, whereas android lets you create Android projects, create AVDs, and more via a
   command-line-oriented user interface. Also, android presents SDK Manager's Android SDK and AVD Manager dialog box when
   invoked with no command-line arguments.

8. The emulator tool launches an AVD by creating a complete Android software stack down to the Linux kernel level; the
   emulated Android device includes preinstalled apps (such as Phone) that you can launch.

9. When you start SDK Manager, the Android SDK and AVD Manager dialog box, followed by the Refresh Sources and Choose
   Packages to Install dialog boxes are presented.

10. The Android SDK Tools, revision 10 package is installed by default.

11. The Android SDK Platform-tools, revision 3 and SDK Platform Android 2.3.3, API 10, revision 1 packages need to be
    installed so that you can develop with Gingerbread/2.3.3.

12. The platform-tools directory is added to android-sdk-windows and the android-10 directory is added to
    android-sdk-windows\platforms as a result of installing Gingerbread/2.3.3.