Comments on: Mobile Web or Mobile Apps?

By: MobileResearcher

MobileResearcher — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 02:57:12 +0000

Great article!
I’ve been looking for hours just to get exactly the information you posted, thanks!!!

By: Weekly Wrap Up “Mobile Thinking”: Pros and Cons Between Mobile Web and Mobile Apps, Money for Mobile Devlopers, Build Once and Deploy to Any, Follow the Mobile User, and One Ted Video

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 22:32:40 +0000

[...] It lists out the pros and cons between mobile web and mobile apps. [...]

By: Ian Homer

Ian Homer — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 09:53:45 +0000

Great post and well balanced argument. I’m pretty excited about the way the mobile browser is evolving and potential for both offline browsing and secure access to device functionality from the browser – see http://www.torgo.com/blog/2008/10/mobile-web-native-apps.html for a good overview on this direction from “Dan”

By: Mat Diss

Mat Diss — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 19:05:11 +0000

Well written article, Ameet. Nicely sums up all the pros and cons.

As you say, there are times when an app suits and times when a website suits.
One of the pros of a website that I think is worth mentioning is that the site is always there, whereas if you lose, or upgrade, your phone you have to revisit all the apps and download them again. An app store makes this easier, but if you don’t have an app store, then you have to remember where you downloaded the apps from.

Whilst you are correct that there is browser fragmentation in the device market, there are tools from the likes of bemoko, MobileIQ and Wapple which help overcome this problem and allow you to develop the best looking sites for whichever phone is being used.

(In the interests of clarity, I do work at bemoko)

By: Rob Witman

Rob Witman — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:40:02 +0000

You did a great job of outlining the pros and cons of development in mobile. I can’t tell you how many times I have had this conversation with people and your analysis pretty much sums it up.

Mr. Pemberton makes an excellent point though. Technically, your analysis is complete. However, when it comes to ROI, one should factor in the different distribution techniques and how they impact your bottom line and goals for the project / brand.

When it comes to straight development, it sounds like Five Mobile understands the Pros and Cons. Since RiffWare has moved away from Professional Services to developing and deploying our own applications, I will be sure to pass our PS inquiries along to Five.

Cheers,

By: Bob DeAnna

Bob DeAnna — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 22:45:36 +0000

Ameet,
Excellent article and summation!
There is definitely a movement toward Mobile Apps that take advantage of the features and processing power of the device.
As stated, a partner to solve the fragmentation issue is a huge value add.
We are also seeing more and more requests for peer-2-peer and peer-2-group application level messaging across devices, which again requires a platform that can host services across all device types.
Those capabilities provide the foundation for some extremely interesting and powerful applications that offer up a great deal of revenue-generating opportunities.

By: vim

vim — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 07:15:27 +0000

informative…thnx.

By: Steve Haney

Steve Haney — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:50:55 +0000

The real story here isn’t about capabilities or one technology versus the other. Once HTML5 becomes more common on mobile browsers, you’ll see a class of very robust mobile apps appearing on devices that do most things that customers want.

The exciting dynamic is around distribution: all of the sudden, no one (not Apple, not the carriers, not anyone) is keeping developers from producing the app they want and getting it to their customer.

The freeing up of the mobile distribution channel will be tectonic for the industry. And carriers won’t be able to block any of it, as net neutrality legislation will prevent them from their past, innovation-stifling behavior.

By: Joe Pemberton

Joe Pemberton — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 04:36:24 +0000

One strong benefit of mobile apps is the access to an app store marketplace. No equivalent exists for mobile web sites to be featured and rated the way an app store can.

You’re right to discuss the dev requirements, the overhead and the support required for each. But the way apps are marketed and the reach they can generate is very different from the mobile web.

Amazon has both a mobile web site (a great one at that) and an iPhone app. It’s app store popularity is compelling enough reason for Amazon to maintain the app.

My response to Amazon’s app is here at Punchcut’s blog, Idlemode. http://idlemode.com/2008/12/04/the-mobile-web-vs-mobile-apps-an-amazon-case-study/

By: L. Howell

L. Howell — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 20:51:31 +0000

This is a terrific piece and especially for novices (which is most of us) when it comes to developing for mobile devices. Follow us as we get closer to our launch on Twitter @goseedo

Best wishes!