What is Android? on the developer's site best describes what Android is.
Why did they choose .dex java bytecode files? I mean, why did they take on the job of translating or combining .class files into .dex files?
This is because they need a more efficient virtual machine. Their virtual machine called DalvikVM has been optimized for low memory requirements.
You can read more about DalvikVM in this Wikipedia entry. Remember to check the external link section on this page.
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