Team up with Apple and Stanford to Learn to Create iPhone Apps for Free
Although at 25,000 and counting, it is hard to believe that anyone could come to the conclusion that there are not enough apps available at the iPhone App store, as to whether there are enough quality apps available, well now that is another question now isn't it. And that may be just what is behind Apple's recently announced partnership with Stanford University to offer free online instruction in iPhone application development.
Distributed through iTunes U educational channel, instruction will consist of videos and course materials from Stanford's 10-week undergraduate computer science class in iPhone app development, and will be taught by two Apple employees. According to Wired's blog, the course's syllabus and slides will be freely available on iTunes as well. It has been noted in many areas that this new display of transparency by Apple, who has historically been understandably, but ultra protective of its technology, is a major change. According to Brett Izutsu, product manager of Stanford's iTunes U program,
"Stanford is very interested in not just creating knowledge but in sharing that knowledge with anyone who seeks it," continuing to say, "I think there definitely is a little modification at Apple, at least within the education realm, to open up a little bit."
The reasoning is irrelevant. The result should be a little something good for everyone involved I'd say. Obviously the iPhone is the hottest new platform around for a wide variety of applications and with the device's software distribution model appearing to be aped to various degrees by the likes of Blackberry, the Nintendo DSi Shop and possibly others, it would be wise to ensure that there are not only plenty of quality and evolving apps available, but developers who have the skill to keep them coming. The first video of this quarter's iPhone development course is also available now at itunes.stanford.edu.
--Tom Milnes
michele on April 05, 2009 at 01:05 PM
Wow! Thank you for sharing this! I'm passing it along to my son.