What is Android?

[rusejery]

Android is a software stack for mobile devices that includes an operating system, middleware and key applications. The Android SDK provides the tools and APIs necessary to begin developing applications on the Android platform using the Java programming language.


Features

• Application framework enabling reuse and replacement of components
• Dalvik virtual machine optimized for mobile devices
• Integrated browser based on the open source WebKit engine
• Optimized graphics powered by a custom 2D graphics library; 3D graphics based on the OpenGL ES 1.0 specification (hardware acceleration optional)
• SQLite for structured data storage
• Media support for common audio, video, and still image formats (MPEG4, H.264, MP3, AAC, AMR, JPG, PNG, GIF)
• GSM Telephony (hardware dependent)
• Bluetooth, EDGE, 3G, and WiFi (hardware dependent)
• Camera, GPS, compass, and accelerometer (hardware dependent)
• Rich development environment including a device emulator, tools for debugging, memory and performance profiling, and a plugin for the Eclipse IDE

This full of information for that guys who are new and freshers as a Android Developer..

[MoonZ*BabysH]

And you may hear the term Root, Rooting or Rooted which is the androids equivelent of unlocking your Android Phone.

What Does Root Give Me?

Full control over your system
Ability to alter system files. You can replace many parts of the "Android Core" with this including:
Themes
Core apps (maps, calendar, clock etc)
Recovery image
Bootloader
Toolbox (linux binary that lets you execute simple linux commands like "ls") can be replaced with Busybox (slightly better option)
Boot images
Add linux binaries
Run special apps that need more control over the system
SuperUser (lets you approve or deny the use of root access to any program)
Task Manager For Root (Lets you kill apps that you otherwise could not kill)
Tether apps (like the one found at [android-wifi-tether.googlecode.com])
<there are more but I cannot think of any right now>
Backup your system
You can make a folder on your sdcard and backup all of your .apk files to your sdcard (helps if an author decides to "upgrade" you to a version that requires you to pay to use the version you just had)
Relocate your (browser/maps/market) cache to your /sdcard
Relocate your installed applications to your /sdcard
Reboot your phone from the terminal app easily (su <enter> reboot <enter>)

http://android-dls.com/wiki/index.php?title=Why_Root

[synaptyc]

STICKY PLEASE!!!

OP... TYVM for the info!
The first two posts are EXCELLENT for beginners! ( )
Understanding your enemy is the best way to control them.
You don't have to defeat or destroy the enemy... just make it succumb to your will. The same goes for software and hardware. IF you know how something is put together, you can take it apart and reassemble it with a different amount of parts to enhance the original design.

I've read a lot about Android and am currently studying Java programming to begin developing apps for this awesome operating system.

One MAJOR thing that helps people learn and grow is community knowledge.
OP, thank you for not assuming that everyone already knows the basics of Android and the ROOTing process. People are buying these phones in a staggering rate over these past 6 months. We will see TONS of people rush to this community during and after this holiday season.

Threads like this will bring them to the right place and point them in the right direction

KUDOS!

[drksilenc]

android is also a linux based os. thats why when you do apps2sd you have to have the ext format on your memory stick