KDK Beta registration

polomint · 01-09-2011, 12:06 PM

Hi, does anyone know how long on average it takes before Amazon decides on whether you get registered for the KDK Beta? I applied over a month ago and have had no reply at all, except for the auto-response.
I really wish to write an application that aggregates different news/sport/forum feeds for display on the Kindle3 while I am out and about, but have been waiting impatiently for Amazon to give me access (if they ever do).

Anyone know anything about the KDK?

kranu · 01-09-2011, 02:21 PM

I've applied 3 months ago :/

There really is no estimate. They just let people in as they get space.

azit · 01-09-2011, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by polomint

I really wish to write an application that aggregates different news/sport/forum feeds for display on the Kindle3 while I am out and about, but have been waiting impatiently for Amazon to give me access (if they ever do).

If I were you, I'd give up on getting on the beta, and just get on with writing code using the methods people have mentioned on here. It really isn't hard to do. Obviously, it would be nice to have the kdk documentation and beta-only resources, but beggars can't be choosers.

kranu · 01-09-2011, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azit

It really isn't hard to do.

That's relative. I can only barely make a Hello World appear.

The documentation is really complicated IMO. Clicking on one command leads to more commands which leads to even more commands. It's like trying to read Wikipedia in a language you barely understand. Sure, you can look up a word, but the definition will have words which you don't understand, and to look up that word, you would restart the deadly cycle.

azit · 01-10-2011, 02:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kranu

That's relative. I can only barely make a Hello World appear.

Perhaps start with the code that people have produced? There is Sudoku, KindleChess and KindleGo to name but 3 that can be compiled and run. That will give you a load of example code that you know runs on the Kindle.

I started with KindleChess, fixed some bugs, added some graphics, some resizing code and a menu and it didn't take more than a couple of days. Now I understand enough to be able to write my own code.

hawhill · 01-10-2011, 06:53 AM

I agree with azit. However, if you never did Java programming before, it all might come along as pretty overwhelming. But I'm not so sure that would be better with NDK access. In general, it might help to read a bit about Java Applets and AWT to make sense of how it works on the Kindle.
I've put a great deal of documentation into the Sudoku code published here (certainly more than I would usually do for myself) to help beginners understanding it.

What me bothered most about not having KDK access is the lack of an emulator and proper debugging. Although in fact I don't even know if the KDK provides you with the latter, but I guess its emulator is just a different Kindlet container implementation that works on the desktop instead and uses the desktop's JVM, thus providing standard debugger access. Is anyone by chance aware if the CVM on the Kindle can provide debugger access? (i.e. breakpoints, variable access, step-by-step execution ...)

polomint · 01-10-2011, 07:04 AM

I'm kinda a beginner with Java, although I have extended a ZX Spectrum emulator written in Java to do some extra things.
Is there a step by step guide to start coding kindlets (along with your source,

)? I have searched a bit on here, but it is all so confusing for me at the moment.
I am on Ubuntu 10.10, so I have Netbeans installed for working on the emulator I mentioned, and I assume Netbeans will be ok for coding kindlets?

Thanks

hawhill · 01-10-2011, 12:21 PM

I'm not aware of a real step-by-step guide, sorry. But netbeans should work fine. However, in order to really use the CDC/PBP platform (which is what is used in the Kindle), you might be better off with Windows (sorry to have to say so), since the Java ME SDK, which brings full platform support for CDC/PBP, is unfortunally only available for Windows. Then you should be able to use the Java ME features of Netbeans.

But I never went that way: I started with just using the J2SE profile, introducing Kindlet.jar and the few other Kindle specific libs. Did you ever try to open e.g. the Sudoku project with netbeans? It should be very much prepared, except for the Kindle .jars which you might have to copy to a proper place and reference them in the project (for the Sudoku project, they in fact _are_ referenced, but you'll probably have them in a different place in the filesystem).

However, now I went a bit further and downloaded Sun's PBP reference implementation 1.1, which is available with their J2ME downloads. It was a bit awkward to have netbeans use them, though. I had to create another J2SE profile, find the XML file netbeans stores the profile's configuration in and edit the boot classpath in there to make it point to the PBP classes.

If you're not quite custom with the Java platform nomenclature, I can't do much more than suggesting to read it all up. It's awkward, sales-people-compromised stuff, but the Java platform has become a small universe you'll have to explore to really understand what part of it you're actually using.

Andrew*Debbie · 01-14-2011, 05:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by polomint

Hi, does anyone know how long on average it takes before Amazon decides on whether you get registered for the KDK Beta? I applied over a month ago and have had no reply at all, except for the auto-response.

A few days after the auto-response, I had one additional email asking for more details about the applications I proposed. Nothing since.

AEBen · 05-27-2011, 12:17 PM

I have applied three months ago. Still no answer :-(

May be in such way, by asking the details about prospective Kindle software, Amazon just collects the fresh ideas to implement.
It seems they really don't care about applicants participation.

Giggleton · 05-27-2011, 01:00 PM

Personally I think Amazons going to toss their proprietary junk and go full android, eink android tablet, app store etc.. To take advantage of already present dev base.

I applied a few months ago and heard nothing, I proposed a book club app where discussion of the book could take place from within the book itself and the moderator of the club could send links to purchase the groups books to the groups members, I expect many of these types of apps shortly.

01-09-2011, 12:06 PM	#1
polomint [Polo] Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Kindle 3G + WiFi	KDK Beta registration Hi, does anyone know how long on average it takes before Amazon decides on whether you get registered for the KDK Beta? I applied over a month ago and have had no reply at all, except for the auto-response. I really wish to write an application that aggregates different news/sport/forum feeds for display on the Kindle3 while I am out and about, but have been waiting impatiently for Amazon to give me access (if they ever do). Anyone know anything about the KDK?

05-27-2011, 12:17 PM	#10
AEBen Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2011 Location: USA Device: Kindle 3	I have applied three months ago. Still no answer :-( May be in such way, by asking the details about prospective Kindle software, Amazon just collects the fresh ideas to implement. It seems they really don't care about applicants participation. Last edited by AEBen; 05-28-2011 at 10:13 AM.

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01-09-2011, 02:21 PM	#2
kranu I <3 my Kindle Posts: 528 Karma: 51332 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: United States Device: Kindle 3G + WiFi	I've applied 3 months ago :/ There really is no estimate. They just let people in as they get space.

01-10-2011, 06:53 AM	#6
hawhill Wizard Posts: 1,379 Karma: 2155307 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Goettingen, Germany Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo Mini	I agree with azit. However, if you never did Java programming before, it all might come along as pretty overwhelming. But I'm not so sure that would be better with NDK access. In general, it might help to read a bit about Java Applets and AWT to make sense of how it works on the Kindle. I've put a great deal of documentation into the Sudoku code published here (certainly more than I would usually do for myself) to help beginners understanding it. What me bothered most about not having KDK access is the lack of an emulator and proper debugging. Although in fact I don't even know if the KDK provides you with the latter, but I guess its emulator is just a different Kindlet container implementation that works on the desktop instead and uses the desktop's JVM, thus providing standard debugger access. Is anyone by chance aware if the CVM on the Kindle can provide debugger access? (i.e. breakpoints, variable access, step-by-step execution ...)

01-10-2011, 07:04 AM	#7
polomint [Polo] Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Kindle 3G + WiFi	I'm kinda a beginner with Java, although I have extended a ZX Spectrum emulator written in Java to do some extra things. Is there a step by step guide to start coding kindlets (along with your source, )? I have searched a bit on here, but it is all so confusing for me at the moment. I am on Ubuntu 10.10, so I have Netbeans installed for working on the emulator I mentioned, and I assume Netbeans will be ok for coding kindlets? Thanks

01-10-2011, 12:21 PM	#8
hawhill Wizard Posts: 1,379 Karma: 2155307 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Goettingen, Germany Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo Mini	I'm not aware of a real step-by-step guide, sorry. But netbeans should work fine. However, in order to really use the CDC/PBP platform (which is what is used in the Kindle), you might be better off with Windows (sorry to have to say so), since the Java ME SDK, which brings full platform support for CDC/PBP, is unfortunally only available for Windows. Then you should be able to use the Java ME features of Netbeans. But I never went that way: I started with just using the J2SE profile, introducing Kindlet.jar and the few other Kindle specific libs. Did you ever try to open e.g. the Sudoku project with netbeans? It should be very much prepared, except for the Kindle .jars which you might have to copy to a proper place and reference them in the project (for the Sudoku project, they in fact _are_ referenced, but you'll probably have them in a different place in the filesystem). However, now I went a bit further and downloaded Sun's PBP reference implementation 1.1, which is available with their J2ME downloads. It was a bit awkward to have netbeans use them, though. I had to create another J2SE profile, find the XML file netbeans stores the profile's configuration in and edit the boot classpath in there to make it point to the PBP classes. If you're not quite custom with the Java platform nomenclature, I can't do much more than suggesting to read it all up. It's awkward, sales-people-compromised stuff, but the Java platform has become a small universe you'll have to explore to really understand what part of it you're actually using.

05-27-2011, 01:00 PM	#11
Giggleton Banned Posts: 1,687 Karma: 4368191 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Oregon Device: Kindle3	Personally I think Amazons going to toss their proprietary junk and go full android, eink android tablet, app store etc.. To take advantage of already present dev base. I applied a few months ago and heard nothing, I proposed a book club app where discussion of the book could take place from within the book itself and the moderator of the club could send links to purchase the groups books to the groups members, I expect many of these types of apps shortly.

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