To start developing Android applications there are a couple of things that you need to download and install.

   1. The latest java JDK http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html

   2. You will need is the Android SDK. It can be downloaded at http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html

Once this is installed, Open it and install the Android 2.3.3 (API 10) SDK Platform

   3.  You will need to install Eclipse http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/ According to Google the "Eclipse Classic" version is recommended. Otherwise, a Java or RCP version of Eclipse is recommended. The nice thing about eclipse is you don’t have to install anything you just download the zip file and extract it somewhere convenient. I’m using windows 7 so I created a C:\Program Files (x86)\eclipse\ folder.

   4.  Finally you need to install the ADT plug-in for eclipse.

  a.    In Eclipse goto Help --> Install new Software

b.   Enter https://dl-ssl.google.com/android/eclipse/ in the works with drop down and click add

c.   Type ADT Plugin (The name isn’t that important) and click ok

d.   Select developer tools and click Next

If you get the error Cannot complete the install because one or more required items could not be found. Software being installed: Android Development Tools 15.0.1.v201111031820-219398 (com.android.ide.eclipse.adt.feature.group 15.0.1.v201111031820-219398) You just need to add the update site to http://download.eclipse.org/releases/indigo you don’t actually have to install anything. So go back to the goto Help --> Install new Software and in the Work with text box put the string http://download.eclipse.org/releases/indigo and click Add. Then go back and repeat step 4a and install the ADT Plugin

e. Accept the license terms

f. Agree to install software that contains unsigned content.

g. Restart Eclipse (It’s nice it’s not the entire OS)

h. A welcome to Android Development Window will open tell it the location that you installed the sdk managager.

This is everything you should need to get the IDE setup to create your first Kindle Fire Application. In my next post I will go over how to create a hello World application and how to setup the emulator to emulate the kindle fire.