What does it take to make android apps for the android market?

I'm a 16 year old boy who is interested and inspired by another kid who is 14 and made an iphone app. So far he has made millions on his apps. I wanna create some apps and I figured the android market would probably be easiest way. What does it take to develop apps. Also would it help if I had an android phone?What does it take to make android apps for the android market?
Before going further, please note that you'll have to pay 25USD for a Google developer account in order to publish apps for the Android Market. For the iPhone AppStore (iTunes), it's even more expensive, 99$ a year minimum I think.

Now for your question:

The most easy way to develop an Android app is through the Google (Android) AppInventor since you virtually "draw" the application and graphically organize its actions and the dependencies between the screens. It's kind of like in Visual Basic if you know that already. Anyway, even if you have no experience, AppInventor is really a good way to start, it includes an emulator, and it's free of course. However, in order to package it in an .apk (to run it on a phone) or to publish on the market, it's not a straightforward step but it's possible anyway through PhoneGap for instance.

Further step would be using JavaScript programming through a platform like Appcelerator Titanium. They have developed a bridge between JavaScript and both Obj-C (iOS: iPhone/iPad) and Java (Android). So the good thing, is once you compile the app, it's usable for both iPhone/iPad and Android phones/tablets. Titanium includes emulators for all those platforms. In addition, it allows to package even for MacOS X (Apple computers) but you have to pay something for Apple, again.

Unless you already know and master Java, in that case go directly with Eclipse IDE and hard code.What does it take to make android apps for the android market?
You can download the Android SDK - Software Development Kit. free

The Eclipse IDE - Integrated Development Environment. free

then thers this ADT Plug in that you need (it connects the SDK to Eclipse)



from there you can either use the android phone emulator or a real android phone to start learning how to develop apps. check on youtube theres vids that show everythinging you need to do to setup for android development and tutorials on programming as well...I would suggest the Markana series of vids. they guy is alittle bit hard to understand at first but he's really good.