Carbide.c++ is available in three versions: Carbide.c++ Express is
free, while Nokia charges for Carbide.c++ Developer and Carbide.c++
Professional. The first is intended for casual Symbian developers, and
has everything you need to create and package an application. If you’re
looking for a GUI designer, on-device debugging, or the ability to
target specific CPUs, you need to purchase Carbide.c++ Developer. If
you’re looking to support unreleased devices, or are actually building
Symbian-based devices, it’s wise to invest in Carbide.c++ Professional,
which includes support for R&D devices, system-level on-device
debugging, and a performance investigator to examine resource use
on-handset.While perhaps not a replacement for Borland or Metrowerks full-blown
SDKs for Symbian, Carbide.c++ Express is a much-needed overhaul of the
previous tool chain offering from Nokia. A bona fide IDE built atop
Eclipse, Carbide.c++ brings together the cumbersome command-line tools
necessary for Symbian developers on a budget.Source: Devx
It is true that the tools for building applications on a platform will make or break its success. Palm was the PDA leader for a long time until smart phones came out. The market then segmented but the loyalists still swear by Palm and its MASSIVE software library. What can Nokia do to make people love Symbian as much as other people love Palm? I admit when I was mobile phone shopping the decision was hard, Treo 680 or Nokia E61. I’ve been using Nokia phones all my life, and all the reviewers were trumpeting the E61’s magnificently sized keyboard. I don’t regret my decision at all.