Mobile applications vs Web applications
On or off the web, are you able to make the most of your data, information, and mobile devices?
We are connected to the web and dependent upon it, but what if that connection breaks, or a typical web application is just not enough? There are many reasons why a mobile / partially connected application might be what you need.
- A connnection to the web is a security risk. We hear - all too often - of data theft, identity theft, and black hackers who are happy to destroy what someone has created with great care. A mobile application, which does not rely upon or need a permanent connection to the web may be all the security you need.
- A typical web application can only go so far. It cannot fully use the hardware resources provided by the mobile device. A mobile application however has full access to the device and its power. It can use local databases, sound files, photographs. It can do this quickly without the need to access resources across the web, and sending data across the web is risky, as it may get intercepted.
- And who really owns the data that is stored on someone elses web server? Data that is stored on your own device that you have created yourself is undeniably yours.
- A mobile application will be as fast as the device it runs on (and generally mobile applications run very fast indeed).
- Despite our extensive mobile coverage, there are plenty of places were a web connection cannot be quaranteed, and so a web application cannot be guaranteed to be available.
Mobile applications can be developed in many ways
Adobe Air Development
The most popular programming language in the world according to some sources (see the Tiobe index), is Java. This is probably the language most attributed to the write-once-run-many concept. The idea being that an application could be written in Java, on say a Linux computer, and it would run happily on a Mac, a PC or an Android device without any change to the source code.
We write Java applications, but recently we have adopted Adobe Air to take advantage of its many strengths. Some of its strengths are discussed below.
- Adobe air is cross platform. An application created on any PC will run on PC's, Mac, Android, or possibly Linux machines.
- Adobe air provides a virtual machine in which web technology like CSS, HTML, Javascript, and Javascript's many libraries can run. This proves web developers with the opportunity to create desktop applications using technology that is tried and trusted.
- Adobe air is ubiquitous. The famous Angry Birds game was written with it as an example.
- Adobe air is very well supported.
An example of an Adobe Air application
Currently we are working on a number of Adobe Air applications. We hope to post a simple example soon.
What is the difference between a mobile and a web application?
A mobile application runs without any need for a connection to the web. It can store its data locally.
A web application must be connected to the web to function. Even a temporary interuption to the connection can have undesirable consequences.
A hybrid application is essentially mobile, as it needs no connection to the web, but uses it when it detects that it is available. Adobe Air applications can push data to the cloud when necessary, but function perfectly without a connection.