Totally ignorant (about J2ME)

OK. I admit it. I don't even know where to look to get started. I got drawn here by the book giveaway, read a couple of messages and don't know:

What is MIDlet?

How do I tell if my Sprint PCS phone is Java-enabled

I can run Java on my Palm?(I have a IIIc)

Is this at all related to the Java 'buttons' Sun handed out a few years ago?

Just a bit overwhelming. I thought I was doing pretty nicely getting eclipse, JUnit, etc. going. How different is the J2ME world for a developer?

Originally posted by Richard Jensen:

What is MIDlet?
How do I tell if my Sprint PCS phone is Java-enabled
I can run Java on my Palm?(I have a IIIc)
Is this at all related to the Java 'buttons' Sun handed out a few years ago?

1. MIDlet is a Java applications that runs on J2ME devices. It's development model is sort of like an applet.
2. Check with your device mannual
3. Yes, you can run J2ME on Palm, although Palm is not the optimal platform for J2ME.
4. J2ME is more closely related KVM and PersonalJava than Java Buttons.
All your favorate tools Eclipse/JBuilder etc works with J2ME today.

Hi Richard,
I was like you just last week. But thanks to Javaranch and Jonathan I have become wiser now because I went there
Good luck.

Here's a good starting point for the "big picture":
http://wireless.java.sun.com/getstart/

Welcome to the club! I'm new to J2ME as well, and I have the urge to put Java apps on my Palm too.
Are you using a particular IDE? Mine is/will be JBuilder. with a hefty dose of ant.
What sort of apps are you interested in writing?
Don't mean to be nosy, but it seems that Palm developers are few and far between...

Originally posted by Burk Hufnagel:
Are you using a particular IDE? Mine is/will be JBuilder. with a hefty dose of ant.
What sort of apps are you interested in writing?
Don't mean to be nosy, but it seems that Palm developers are few and far between

I use eclipse currently for work when I'm dealing with Java (I primarily code in C++). I'm debating using my existing Palm (IIIc) and J2ME vs. getting a PocketPC with compact .net (and C#) for writing a password safe type of program.
(here) I actually got it originally from counterpane.com (after reading Cryptonomicon and going to the counterpane site to learn more about the Solitaire algorithm, etc.).
Anyway, I would like to be able to generate and store password information on both my PC and my Palm or PocketPC (if I end up having to get one of those). So, I want the synchronization between systems, similar user interfaces (don't know yet if I can do that with J2ME), and it would be great if I could 'inject' password information from my Palm to a web form without having to type it in...

Well, I think that if you want to run on both PocketPC and Palms without developing two apps, then I think J2ME's the way to go.