Ever since I spotted and started reading my first computer book in 1981, I knew Information Technology (IT) was going to be an important part of my life. I feel privileged to have been able to make a career out of something I enjoy, and the fact that it changes on what seems to be a monthly basis means it never gets boring. It still astounds me that mobile telephones have come so far in such a short time; and when the iPhone was launched, I knew the role of smartphones would be pivotal in all that we do—both in our private and our corporate lives. They are not only useful tools for managing your contacts or calendar, they are now a mechanism for doing all sorts of things such as buying a cinema ticket, keeping in touch with your friends through social media, and playing games,

However, why should those who don’t know Objective-C or Xcode not be able to take advantage of such a wonderful world, especially if you have come to know and love Microsoft’s .NET and C# but don’t want to be exclusive to Microsoft Mobile–based smartphones? It doesn’t have to be that way—a plethora of options exist, including using this book to understand the similarities and differences between C# and Objective-C, Visual Studio and Xcode 4, and the .NET Framework and the iOS SDK, and also how to exploit third-party options such as Mono and MonoTouch.

This book has been created to do just that. It provides you with all the information you need to make that transition, leaving you empowered and capable of using your experience to create world-class iOS-based applications. I even take you through the process of publishing your application to Apple’s App Store.

I hope you enjoy this book and the opportunities it may afford you. Thank you for reading it.