Some sad news tonight for your fans of the Google App Inventor project. With the demise of Google Labs, so, too, do we learn of the demise of App Inventor. This was a slick little tool that let anyone (theoretically) create an Android app, without having to actually now how to code anything. That's not to say it was easy -- yours truly made his way through the tutorials and did a sweet version of Wack a Mole with his daughter's likeness (it's a long story). But you still need a certain mind-set to really make use of it.
Anyhoo, according to a post last week on the Google Laps group (you'll note how this was killed off and nobody noticed for a few days), App Inventor's being phased out along with the rest of Google Labs, but it will live on as an open-source project.
The current App Inventor site will live on for the next three months. RIP, App Inventor. You were a good idea, but probably a little before your time. For a retrospective of Google App Inventor, check out the video after the break while we pour out 40 lines of code for our homies.
Source: Google Labs Group; via +Jason Howell
Reader comments
Google App Inventor killed off with Google Labs, will live on as open-source code
That app inventor is a bitch to figure out.
I agree, if you wanted to do anything outside of very simple tasks, it's so difficult to understand. More difficult than Java IMO.
sad to hear.. may he rest in peace but how he died?
What the hell is Google Laps? Sounds dirty.
I wondered as well and a split second after I figured it was Google LaBs
That stinks.....
"check out the video after the break while we pour out 40 lines of code for our homeys." lol ha
I just started using it this past weekend! Grrrrrrrrrrr
I miss it, but I'm getting ready to start college to learn some real code. I've learned more from the internet than I ever did from App Inventor.
It's a shame Google will stop development on it. It was a pretty good concept and it was fun to play with.
Anyone want to buy my $34.99 book by Jason Tyler titled "App Inventor for Android - build your own apps - no experience required"? ARGGG!
Sad news...looks like I will have to learn real programming now...I was able to build this app with Inventor https://market.android.com/details?id=appinventor.ai_agentlotek.ScapeDic...
Bummer, I had fun playing with allot of the stuff that came out of GL.
This is probably better news for app inventor than people realize. The original project did not seem well supported. It felt like a project that was poorly supported.
Now that it will be released as an open source project any developer can contribute to the project and make it better.
I tbought it was a neat concept but very limiting, hopefully it will continue to grow.
That stinks. I liked the App Inventor, I was able to make a few fart apps that I found fun. And I didn't think it was that hard to use.
This is actually really good news.
The software is going to go from a small group at a large company supporting it to an entire community supporting / developing it.
Once this is in the hands of the open source community we're going to see this software take off.
Very good point showson1! Cant wait to see what the people out there that are capable dream up!
Time to pick up the code, make it better, and give it to the users!