Software only Sun SPOT development
Today we launch our software only release of the Sun SPOT development kit. We have a complete version of the software development environment that we are making available for download. It's a beta. We haven't completed a few things like the version of the tutorial that uses virtual Sun SPOTs instead of real ones, but all the other tools and examples are there to get you started building your own applications.
I know, I know. The whole point of Sun SPOTs is to push computing further into the real world, so what's the point of a software only release? Here are the top 10 reasons to give it a try:
10 - There's an application I've been thinking about and I want to find out if it will work without having to buy a kit.
9 - I am affiliated with a university but NOT in one of the following countries, so I can't buy a kit yet:
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States
8 - I am affiliated with a commercial entity but NOT in United States, the European Union, and Russia, so I can't buy a kit yet.
7 - Sun SPOT Development Kit are too expensive for me
6 - I'm brave and beta releases don't scare me
5 - I'm kind hearted and want to help you stamp out bugs in this beta release
4 - You have stuff to download and I have some free disk space. This will work out great!
3 - I want to explore one of the ten amazing Java applications
2 - I'm a discerning geek, this is a must have gadget
1 - What? Free Sun SPOT Dev Kit, where do I download?
If you are interested email David Simmons at davidgs (at) sun (dot) com. Please put "SDK Beta" in the Subject: line so that he knows what your request is about. You will then be sent a link for the Java WebStart page from where you can start the install. You must be able to run Java WebStart applications for this to work.
