Intel XDK

Since there is zero description of what this actually is on that page, I had to go to the google store to find info on the plugin.

> Develop HTML5-based apps with the Intel® XDK (cross platform development kit)

> The XDK is the world’s first HTML5 powered mobile application development tool. With it, you can create, debug and build customized, robust HTML5 apps in hours, and the XDK runs on either Mac or PC Platforms. Intel's cloud-based build system turns your HTML5-based apps into 100% native API-compliant mobile apps for iOS or Android, or you can deploy them as webapps or Chrome apps. All from a single code base!

> Creating great HTML5 apps requires great HTML5 tools and that’s exactly what the XDK is. If you can build it for the web using HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript, you can use the Intel® XDK to build it as an HTML5 web app or as a native app for the iPhone, iPad and all Android devices. There’s no need to learn Objective C, or install complicated SDKs. Instead, using industry-standard HTML5 and CSS3, you can include animation, effects, styling and video for enhanced interactivity. Intel's javascript libraries give you all the sexy transitions and scrollers with simple javascript calls.

> The XDK has been designed to make it very easy for a developer to check look and feel on diverse hardware platforms. The XDK’s debugging tools allow testing with on-screen emulation, local on-device, and remotely anywhere in the world without requiring ad-hoc builds or security certificates.

> PhoneGap Friendly

> The XDK is fully compatible with the PhoneGap HTML5 cross platform development project, providing many features that are missing from the open source project.

> These Apps Do It All

> Unlike traditional web apps that are trapped inside a browser, You can easily use device capabilities in mobile apps you create with the XDK. our JavaScript hardware abstraction allows easy access to specialized device capabilities such as GPS, accelerometer, camera, touch interaction & gestures, vibration and more. Thousands of developers are building games, utilities, and fun apps with without having to even own a Mac or learn Objective C.

> How many Apps have you made Today?

> Everyone has some app ideas - get started on yours now. It's totally free to download and use the Intel® XDK.

It's too bad that Intel doesn't go into more detail on the page. The idea of a cross platform HTML5 library with a solid technical foundation is compelling. However, mobile apps alone are too narrow of a focus so I hope it's more open-ended like SDL.

Also an IDE isn't really necessary and I think it will muddy what they are trying to accomplish. However - building for the iOS App Store is such a uniquely painful process that I can see how they might interpret that as a found pain and encapsulate it. I'm curious to see how XDK evolves.

I think this is the more appropriate landing page, it describes what the XDK is, at least: http://html5dev-software.intel.com/

Edit: It doesn't work with the OpenJDK Runtime Environment 1.6, IcedTea, of course. Why is OpenJDK so problematic? Is it OpenJDK bugs, or Application Developers doing something wrong?

I just got it running and its awsome development set for the HTML5 mobile app development, Intel App framework, Phonegap, and some game library are mainly supported, along with multiple device testing including features like accelerometer, multi touch, wifi , 3g ,rotations etc.

WTF is the intel XDK and why don't they bother to explain it on the landing page. As for requiring Java? No thanks, when I figure out what it does, I'll find something else to do it without involving Whoracle.

This didn't work with my web browser -- what is this and what does it do?