New to Java

For more than a decade, I have been frustrated any time I need to installl anything Java. I am totally willing to read the documentation, but answers are not easy to find. So I apologize for asking some very basic questions, but a little guidnace will be appreciated.

I currently am attempting to install Java so I can use the MonoDroid preview which is for Android development using .Net. Yes, I hear you laughing. The instructions for MonoDroid say that I need the 32-bit JDK. Well this is where the Java site is always confusing. There is something called the SE and I don't know if the SE is the JDK or what. I am using Windows 7. The Windows Control Panel says that I have SE 6.21 64-bit installed and I have Java (JRE?) 21 64-bit and Java 23 installed. One question that I think is difficult to fand an answer to is if I can have both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the JDK installed. I installed the 64-bit of SE for the purpose of using that with Eclipse but I think I have not yet seet up this computer for Android develpment. Yes, I hear you; I should know the answer to that question. I just wish it were easier to find answers to real-life questions. I need to be able to do both; Android SDK development using Java and Eclipse and MonoDroid development. Should I un-install the SE 64-bit and install the the 32-bit? Also, I vaguely recall that there is a problem with the latest version of the JDK that cuauses a problem for the Android SDK so that makes things a bit complicated too.

Edited by: 834992 on Feb 8, 2011 2:04 PM