Easy ways to make Apps for Apple or Android?

[Geek-9pm]

Some of the new ideas for mobile development claim ypu make a progrfam that can work or either a Apple or anAndroid. They go on to claim you do not have to be an expert in Java. They say long study of programming is not needed. Instead, What you need is imagination.

Here are the best two two I found in a recent search
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-make-your-own-mobile-apps-for-the-android-market-2011-2

http://www.creativebloq.com/app-design/how-build-app-tutorials-12121473

But I have no experience in doing mobile programming. So my question  is this:
Are the tools mentioned in the links above really that good?
Is it easier to program for the Apple OS?
Should I stick to Apple and forget Android?
Do the cross-platform tools work?
Have you used any?
Thanks