challenges of mobile complexity

While mobile developers tell us all the time about their challenges creating rich native applications for dizzying array of smartphone operating systems out there today, the phenomenon seems remarkably underreported in the wider information technology press. This article by former PC Magazine editor Michael J. Miller sums it up well. I especially liked the way that he politely dismissed the “lets just create mobile websites for it all” approach put forth by one vendor.

Further detail on the problem of mobile operating system fragmentation for developers is provided by Information Week’s David Berlind. There is perhaps a bit of blurring between device operating systems and crossplatform development “platforms” (like Rhodes) that could be confusing. That said, I don’t see either FlashLite or JavaFX as competitive with Rhodes. Rhodes is a full application framework (backend to frontend, that is full MVC), concentrates on unique device capabilities and access to local data. Still, given what we hear from developers trying to mobilize their apps and data, it would be great to see more coverage of such options for mobile developers regardless in the traditional information technology press.

0 Comments | Posted by admin