Got the SDK?

[Ken Young]

If you've been accepted to the Palm webOS SDK early access program, or even if you've only just applied, post here!  Tell us what type of application you applied to build (unless it's top-secret, of course), how Palm notified you that you had been accepted, what it's like inside Palm's developer portal, and anything else you are allowed to discuss! (We haven't seen the NDA so we don't know what's covered, but please review it before you post anything.)

[SeanBlader]

Ken I'll tell you everything I know, and that's a whole lot of nothin'. I put in my application as a developer on day one, and apparently building an Alarm Clock for starters isn't enough of a draw for the Developer team to want to include me in the SDK preview. Maybe it's because I put that I was using Linux to develop and they aren't ready for it yet? Anyway, it's got me to be kind of overhyped about the Pre. I've got my app nearly to completion, and if not for a SDK to test on I'd be ready to go.

[mojoDN]

I'm with you, I applied on day one .. actually within the first 30 minutes of the blog post going out. I told them that I would be writing software to assist law enforcement officers with their job (as I am one and I could use the software myself), however that apparently isn't good enough either. Nor is running a website to garner interest in developing for webOS, which the whole success of the pre depends on. Hmmm.... Oh well guess one day I might be good enough

[JayCanuck]

Same thing here.  I applied to day 1 with an idea for a quick-access high school/post-secondary notes management application based off a PalmOS app I have called CourseNotes.  Figured I could jazz it up for the WebOS with homework management with calendar access and notifications of upcoming due assignments, etc..  Still no word from Palm, lol.

A friend of mine also applied, saying he wants to make an RSS reader and has gotten no response from Palm.  Though in all honesty, I could see Palm getting a lot of people submitting similar apps.

[chuq]

Hi, guys --

Your enthusiasm for programming on our new platform has been amazing. If you’ve been frustrated because you haven’t been accepted into the program yet, understand that we’re trying to get people in as fast as we can. The developer community has responded with far more applications than we can accommodate at once. We need to grow slowly to ensure that everyone admitted into the program will receive great support while still leaving us the bandwidth to make the SDK good, solid, and stable by the time we release it to everyone.

As the SDK matures, more people will be admitted into the program as quickly as possible until we can open the doors to everyone. To those of you who haven't been accepted yet, we ask for patience. We want you all building great applications but we need to make sure that when we do let you into the program we can be confident we have the resources to make you successful.

As for developers who have been accepted into the program talking about it, they have agreed to a non-disclosure agreement. That will change in the future, but for now, anyone posting about their experiences with the SDK would risk being removed from the program. There'll be plenty of time for everyone to discuss the SDK with each other when we open it up for everyone -- and we’re as eager for that day as you are.

In the meantime, we will share more information about the program as often as we can. There are some really interesting things happening, so stay tuned!

Chuq

Palm Developer Community Manager

[JayCanuck]

Hi Chuq,

I can only speak for myself, but I'm far from frustrated.  On the contrary, I'm quite excited.  I've been developing for the PalmOS since 2004 and ever since then there's never been this kind of buzz for Palm.  I'm really excited to develop for the WebOS and you guys at Palm have made it very clear it'll be a while before the SDK sees the public light of day (I believe reps @ Palm said public release post-Pre's release), so frankly, the wait into the EAP doesn't bug me.

And thank-you for coming to WebOSHelp.net and explaining the situation/reassuring us. As I said to you on twitter, Glad to know you're on Palm's team

PS:  Hopefully this won't be your last visit here.  I have a feeling this place is going to rise quite a bit in popularity once the SDK is publicly released.

[chuq]

I'll be around. As things move to being fully available, I want to stay in contact with the various Palm communities and make sure we do what we can so all of us are successful. Right now, things are still pretty quiet but that'll change.

chuq

[SeanBlader]

One thing that's nice about the Pre is that you doesn't require the use of the SDK to build applications for the Palm. Since the browser will be a first class application, that means that if you can build a webpage in a webkit enabled browser, then it's likely that you can build an application that will run on the Pre. So even if I don't get the SDK before the phone, I will still have an alarm clock for the Pre on release day, well assuming that the Pre's browser does support HTML5 as listed in the specs.

After that I'll just have to see how ambitious I feel at writing any games before then.

[james]

i'm in the same boat as you guys, i'm excited to play around with the SDK as soon as possible, but I don't mind waiting. I know Palm has bigger fish to fry creating a whole ecosystem for WebOS and i'm I excited for them and wishing them the best.

I submitted a request I know in the first minutes of the early access program. But I didn't really expect to get in. I'm going for a very simple location baced 'waypoint' style app that I think could be really usefull if it was integrated well into WebOS.

On another note: Wow! A big welcome to Chuq! a real life Palm employee on WebOShelp! I feel like our little (for now) community here just took a big step toward legitimacy!  Props to Ken and Andrew for all the hard work!

[Ken Young]

Hi Chuq...thanks for reaching out to eager developers here on webOShelp!  As Jay mentioned, we really appreciate the personal update and the level of communication Palm is maintaining with developers.  I hope it will continue even after Palm experiences explosive growth with the release of the Pre.

On another note, I hope you don't mind being labeled as a "webOS Newb" by the forum ranking system. 

[Scott Hutton]

Anyone gone to the trouble of mocking up any CSS that simulates what the screen might look like?  To placate my desire to get something going (as I, too, still haven't been admitted to the developer program), I've been doing wireframes for the front-end.  It beats duplicating the effort of recreating what will already be available in the SDK and lets me focus on the back-end for now.

I have an SVG that might be useful to those who'd like to do non-HTML wireframes (attached).  Feel free to grab a copy, update, and post with your additions.  E.g., if anyone has seen other application styles, widgets, etc, just clone that SVG an build another.

 -Scott

[SeanBlader]

When we actually get accepted into the dev preview, can we then even say if we have? Like there might be people here who are in on it, and just can't even say that much. *sigh* Damn lawyers.

[BrettQ]

On another note, I hope you don't mind being labeled as a "webOS Newb" by the forum ranking system. 

LOL!

I was accepted into the early SDK program and have 5-6 ideas that are floating around in my head that I want to do.  Developers in the early SDK do have to agree to NDA's, so that is about all I am willing to say other than people are being accepted and Palm is listening and asking for feedback.  I am very pleased by how they are handling everything right now because they really seem to value developers and want us to succeed.

Everything I am going to be working on is built around productivity which is why I will actually be ditching my iPhone on AT&T for a Pre on Sprint.  I am an Evernote fiend that depends on his phone and apps to get me through the day so my ADHD doesn't run me off course.

If Chuq wants to clear up how much we can say about the app process (what type of app we used on our application, how did Palm contact us, etc.), I will share more, but not without Palm's blessing.  I know talking about the SDK is a no, no.

Good luck to everyone on the next round of invites!

[Scott Hutton]

Nice to hear from an actual person that was accepted.

My fear at this point is that I'll still be waiting for SDK access by the time it comes out.  Frankly, not being able to develop for the Pre would pretty much kill my already-waning enthusiasm for it -- might as well keep tinkering with my iPod Touch (which isn't half bad on the simulator, and I *love* Objective C, but I seriously don't see how people manage to type on the things for day-to-day use).  But I'll drop XCode approximately one New York minute after I finally get accepted -- I've been sitting on a growing code base that's largely useless without mobile access, and I just can't bring myself to turn it into another boring web application.

 -Scott

[BrettQ]

I look at it this way: the iPhone took a year to accept native applications.  At least Palm started with this and since things are in JavaScript/HTML/CSS, there is a lot you can do without the SDK.  I doubt we see many non-beta applications that weren't created by one of Palm's partners at launch, so even if you start when the SDK goes public, you are not far behind everyone else.

I think if you like the stuff you have seen so far about webOS and the Pre, you will love it when you get your hands on the device.  At this point I would be more jealous of the "Real Reviewers" that actually get to play with the Pre and write reviews about them.