Google Routing Around The iPhone App Store?
from the sneaky-and-smart dept
With all of the iPhone App Store press love these days, it's almost easy to forget that Apple refused to allow any outside apps on the phone when it first launched -- instead, telling developers that anything they wanted to do can and should be done via a browser, creating mini-apps that were all web-technology-based. Of course, now that the App Store gets so much attention, plenty of folks have forgotten about designing web-based apps for the iPhone... but not everyone. Google has designed a new version of Gmail that routes around Apple's command-and-control App Store process by going direct via the web. While the article linked here seems to make this out to be a big deal, it seems like the only really big deal is the fact that everyone forgot this was the way Apple originally planned for apps to be handled on the phone.
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Psychology at Work
>While the article linked here seems to make this out to be a big deal, it seems like the only really big deal is the
>fact that everyone forgot this was the way Apple originally planned for apps to be handled on the phone.
Yes funny that - human nature at work - tell someone they must do it one way and they kick and scream to do it another way even when there are obvious advantages in running your app via a browser - as it was intended! The whole point of the browser was to make the OS redundant so in 2009 for developer's to happily lock themselves into a single platform is all a bit strange for me ....
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Re: Psychology at Work
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Re: Re: Psychology at Work
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App store within your app
These apps can all connect to the internet, and all have their own "data" space, right?
Couldn't you write an app that downloaded mini apps for itself?
Best example would be Facebook doing on the iPhone the same they've done on the web. Apps within apps.
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Re: Psychology at Work
I don't know any developer that "happily" locks themselves into the iPhone platform. As a matter of fact, most of us hope Apple gets bit in the ars for being such code Nazis. But we are forced to jump on the iPhone App goldmine bandwagon. (Which isn't looking as promising these days.)
Take for example Apple's refusal to allow Flash, which would create too much competition for them to tolerate.
The iPhone lockdown is a perfect example of why most PC haters are idjits. If given the chance, Apple would gladly halt innovation unless they were the sole beneficiaries.
Whew... I feel better now... Thanks
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Re: App store within your app
Keep waiting.
Such an app could be written, but it would not be permitted at the App Store. It would only be usable on Jailbroken phones. Apple won't let someone else install a competign App Store on the phones they (STILL) control.
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The Important Part is Gears or HTML 5
What is important about this Google mail version, which was demonstrated at MWC Barcelona, is that it shows the near future of ALL web apps.
HTML version 5 includes local caching (databases) which is the same functionality as Google Gears. With local storage, services like mobile email can function within the browser, but still work much like an installed app. This will work for many different content types, but not for others (games, for example, will still work better locally.)
This isn't just about Google or Apple. It is about vastly improved functionality for browsers on devices that connect over intermittent networks -> mobile devices.
It will be a while still before HTML 5 makes its way onto the bulk of smartphones, but when it does, it will offer an attractive platform for mobile developers that works across devices and carriers.
That IS a realy big deal.
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