Tools of the Trade... cheaply as possible

For every venture, there are tools for the trade as well as research for he cheapest possible products to help those just starting out. I spent 4 months researching every possible product, software, hardware, computers, books, and anything else I could think of after visiting gaming sites, researching games, and the list below is what I compiled for the fresh to the gaming developing world. If you can think of anything I may have missed that should be in this list, please let me know. 

Some of the tools of my new trade are listed below: 

1. Books: I am using C++ Programming in Easy Steps by Mike McGrath. So far I am incredibly pleased by the ease of learning this challenging language. I am on Chapter 3: Making Statements and I love the way this book is laid out. For more advanced C++ programmers, I would not recommend this book because it really is setup for the beginner, for people who have never coded before. I am also using Android Apps for Absolute Beginners by Wallace Jackson and Beginning Android Games by Mario Zechner. Both are wonderful books. They are a bit more advanced than I was anticipating, especially for a beginners book, but overall, when you read one, the other will feed into it. I have found that makes for better retention of the information. 
   
2. Software: There is a lot of free software out there. What I am using to develop both my Android Apps and Android games is; Java SE (http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html), Eclipse (http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/packages/release/galileo/sr2), Android SDK (http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html). The setup can be a bit challenging but there is an ease of use after the initial setup. I have never coded in my life, as I mentioned in the first post and I successfully created the “Hello World!” message that all beginners do. The software is designed for easy use and easy understanding for all developer skill levels. For developing strictly for iPad or iPhones, and if you are using a Mac, I would recommend Xcode, its free, and it does most of the work for you. Get it at your Appstore.
3. Inspiration 9: (http://www.inspiration.com/Inspiration) This software is GREAT for outlining and creating flowcharts. It is $39.00 and you do have to pay for upgrades but the way the software is setup, anyone can use it with no difficulty. There is a free trial for anyone who is considering using this software for flowcharts and keeping ideas straight.
4. Legal Pads: I use Inspiration for flowcharts but for ALL of my story notes I use legal pads. Why? Well, I have discovered when I am forced to write long hand I slow down and focus on the details. I can think better when I slow down and I can better articulate my ideas. Legal pads are not expensive and usually come in packs. 
   
5. Google Drive: Once I get the notes in the way I want them, I put them on my Google Drive, because let’s face it, Google is our future overlords and it’s bets to appease them by using their products. But all kidding aside, I found that Google Drive is amazing and I use no hard drive space for my projects. My notes and ideas are secure in the Cloud and I can access them no matter where I am as long as I have an internet connection, or not have an internet connection as I discovered on a recent trip. I have a Chromebook, which I adore, and I didn’t have an internet connection when I was on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I could still write my notes and once I had internet again my information synced. It’s a total win/win. Also my Chromebook is faster than any PC I have ever used. It boots in 5 to 10 seconds... SECONDS! Because there are few drivers and no hardware, it boots so fast and within seconds you are up and working. 
6. GIMP vs Photoshop: Geez, I don’t know. Photoshop is a foreign land to me but a lot of developers suggest using that along side Poser in order to create characters and back drops for game scenes. I have both, Photoshop (trial version) and Poser 8 (to see if it is something that I will benefit from). Both bits of software are amazing and I recommend Poser to anyone going into gaming design. I got Poser 8 for about 30 bucks, the newest version, Poser 10 (http://poser.smithmicro.com/poser10-poserpro2014/) is only $129.99. That may sound like a lot but considering most Adobe software that could do the same thing is roughly $500 to $1,000. So, Poser would be the best option financially. And Photoshop can be had for $19.00 a month with Creative Cloud (http://www.adobe.com/products/catalog.html?promoid=KAWQI).
7. Registering your company: I would highly recommend registering your company with the IRS (www.irs.gov) and obtain an EIN for taxes purposes. All purchases you make with your company can be deducted, well, some of it, and that includes if you use a home office. You can deduct the room you use as your office, you can deduct a certain percentage. You can deduct a certain percentage of the electric bill. Also, you can deduct a certain percentage of gas used if you drive a lot for your business. KEEP YOUR RECEIPTS and make sure that whatever you deduct for your company has been used for your company! You can deduct the depreciation of office equipment. There is a lot you can deduct but make sure you do this with the help of a tax professional, like Turbotax or CPA. And then register your company with the SBA (Small Business Administration, www.sba.gov). For $20.00 you can register your company as a general partnership (general partnerships are used when it involves just you or you and a couple of friends and each person is legally responsible for their own legal stuff). I registered Dusa Dog Games as a General Partnership with me, my wife, and my friend Amanda. The registration is good for 4 years and then I will have to either re-register as a general partnership or if the business is successful, and I have employees, then I can register as a company. 

As you can see, I did months of research to find the absolute cheapest way to start a gaming company because, well, I don’t have money and my wife doesn’t make a lot of money so we needed this to be a cheap-ish venture. So far so good.