MilkyTracker, the free and open source GPL tracker tool, is now available on Android, thanks to some cross-platform goodness. (Developers: see SDL-lib, which brings a flexible multimedia library to Android and enables a host of multimedia and games, and the NDK, Google’s JNI-based toolset for C/C++ on the platform.)
So, what does this mean? It means a tool already available on an absurd number of platforms (Mac, Windows, Linux, Windows Mobile, and even Amiga), and build-able on more, gets one additional platform. Whether it’s actually useful to have a traditional tracker on your mobile phone is another matter, and that I suspect comes down to whether you’ve either got a) an integrated physical keyboard on your device, or b) an incredible amount of patience. (Or, maybe c) you’re a magician, and have fingers that can operate this interface with touch.) But I do have to try it; I currently run a Droid 2, so the keyboard’s set. I’m curious if someone has a tablet if that works.
Updated: Hearing some feedback that touch may actually work with this UI, so, hey, I’m open to anything.
The freedom in free software, however, means you’re free to try things out regardless, which I think is a good thing. (The experimentation here is not possible on Apple iOS and Microsoft Windows Phone stores, which forbid software with a GPL license. It’s essentially a legal/political obstacle, not a technical one.)
Anyone, if you’re on Android and love trackers, go give it a try, and let us know what happens:
MilkyTracker for Android
http://www.milkytracker.org
Via two sites dedicated to chips and mobile: True Chip Till Death / Peter Swimm and Palm Sounds.
Speaking of which, I don’t know of another fully-functioning tracker on Android. SunVox could be a possibility in the future, but it’s not here yet. A ground-up mobile tracker for Android would be welcome, however.