Ive never understood the hate for Obj-c, Its a great language and its not that difficult for a beginner to use it as their first language, as long as you don't try and rush into the advanced topics.
If your serious about app development, you need to ask yourself a simple question.
What hardware do you currently have?
if you have an android phone then learn Java.
if you have an iOS device and an Intel Mac then learn Objective-C
Both of these option are free if you already have the correct hardware. iOS development will cost £59.99 a year if you wish to place it onto the app store or test it on an actual device.
The best way to get into developing software is to develop software that will help you. Don't start thinking about what software other people want or the next big thing.
take something your interested in and create small programs that help make that interest easier.