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Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

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    #16
    Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

    The emphasis on the word 'mobile' is the issue here, if people are prepared to open their minds to new and better opportunities as they are presented and then present those opportunities to clients, then the phone will start ringing again for those needing new work from existing customers and generate new.

    I find the ability to be able to merge the new tools into existing knowledge and generate applications that have a broader reach very positive.
    Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
    Albert Einstein, (attributed)
    US (German-born) physicist (1879 - 1955)

    Comment


      #17
      Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

      I suppose everybody in this thread are talking about browser based mobile not native applications. Big difference.

      Comment


        #18
        Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

        I'm strictly talking about browser based tools - BIG - can be as BIG as you want it to be. It's your call.. - but right now BIG is big enough.
        Pete.
        Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
        Albert Einstein, (attributed)
        US (German-born) physicist (1879 - 1955)

        Comment


          #19
          Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

          Originally posted by peteconway View Post
          I'm strictly talking about browser based tools - BIG - can be as BIG as you want it to be. It's your call.. - but right now BIG is big enough.
          Pete.
          The big difference comes that you can build browser based mobile with any tool that produces html5.

          So Alpha version 11 is 100% suitable for mobile. All you need is suitable framework to use with Alpha for example KendoUI Mobile. If you need to have grid then KendoUI Complete. The bonus is you will get manual and you can bring your skills again to the next Alpha version.

          Comment


            #20
            Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

            Originally posted by kkfin View Post
            I suppose everybody in this thread are talking about browser based mobile not native applications. Big difference.
            There may be some differences now, but those are disappearing. Javascript, HTML5, Alpha are blurring the lines, quite successfully. And I don't really draw a line between them anyway. My Alpha mobile app looks and acts native. If it didn't, I wouldn't bother.

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              #21
              Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

              Originally posted by Davidk View Post
              My Alpha mobile app looks and acts native.
              So I suppose your mobile applications made with Alpha do not need internet connection to work.

              Comment


                #22
                Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

                re pure html5 and hybrid (wrapped html5 applications to turn them into native applications,) this blog post (with videos about wrapping alpha anywhere (v12) using PhoneGap) is worth taking a look at http://alphasoftware.net/alpha-anywh...-of-the-world/
                Richard Rabins
                Co Chairman
                Alpha Software

                Comment


                  #23
                  Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

                  Originally posted by kkfin View Post
                  So I suppose your mobile applications made with Alpha do not need internet connection to work.
                  If you don't want to use an internet connection then, for now, find something else to work with. Find the tools that let you do what you need to get done.

                  Comment


                    #24
                    Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

                    Working without phone coverage is something we are actively working on.
                    In the meantime Robin Bennett from http://www.start-software.com/ has found some tools that when used in conjunction with Alpha allow you to build applications when there is no signal

                    Robin's email is [email protected]
                    Richard Rabins
                    Co Chairman
                    Alpha Software

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                      #25
                      Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

                      Originally posted by Richard Rabins View Post
                      Working without phone coverage is something we are actively working on.
                      In the meantime Robin Bennett from http://www.start-software.com/ has found some tools that when used in conjunction with Alpha allow you to build applications when there is no signal

                      Robin's email is [email protected]
                      That's so funny... I was playing with Pocket PC when it first came out to use an Access database on my first smartphone... a decade ago.

                      Comment


                        #26
                        Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

                        Originally posted by Davidk View Post
                        If you don't want to use an internet connection then, for now, find something else to work with. Find the tools that let you do what you need to get done.
                        You can read from my post (#19) what tools I use.

                        I was more interested your native Alpha Mobile Applications you described in your post (#20). How you do it work like native.

                        Comment


                          #27
                          Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

                          Originally posted by peteconway View Post
                          The emphasis on the word 'mobile' is the issue here, if people are prepared to open their minds to new and better opportunities as they are presented and then present those opportunities to clients, then the phone will start ringing again for those needing new work from existing customers and generate new.

                          I find the ability to be able to merge the new tools into existing knowledge and generate applications that have a broader reach very positive.
                          Pete, since I am to assume you read the initial post correctly, I myself must have failed to explain the original post clearly. That happened before. So let me have another shot at it.

                          The question was NOT whether or not "people are prepared to open their minds" (as if many of us would be dumb baboons not prepared to, or even capable of doing that).
                          The question was, whether "mobile design" is anywhere near efficient, to ever become a full business application.

                          My stance is, that this not the case. Not only because of the LIMITATIONS of mobile devices themselves like raw processor power and screen width (lack thereof - those will doubtlessly improve over time) but also by THE WAY you use them (be my guest and CAD/CAM on your phone if you like, most professionals won't, and in Holland we are pretty well known worldwide for our design capabilities if you did not know that yet) and the circumstances most of the mobile users are in WHEN they use them. My position is, that certain jobs are best done with certain tools. And of course, it may look great for a developer to have a new feature to show to his client. But the client is not going to instantly draw his wallet when you show him your new gadget, he is going to want to know what it exactly brings him in terms of benefits to his business. It's not the tool that conquers the client, as you seem to think, but the result you created with that tool. Hence, we need to properly select the best tool for any given job regardless of it being "old" or "just out there" or "hyping".
                          And at this point in time, I don't see the mobile device turning out to be a carrier for a business wide application, more do I see the mobile device being a good companion to that business line application, serving it with small, well designed companion-applications for functionality that require/calls for mobile connectivity.

                          Oh, and Pete: phones do ring sometimes, but it occurs that nothing happens afterwards anyway. I wonder why. "Work" is often not the problem. The reasonable pay often is, since more and more people are trying to hunt freebees instead of being willing to pay proper money for a proper job. And some are quite cunning at that.

                          Comment


                            #28
                            Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

                            As to Marcel's original question:

                            Originally posted by mronck View Post
                            What good would it do to be able to swipe through 20 grids instead of picking exactly the one you need?
                            The question being: is the native design with mobile devices efficient enough for daily use, or is it just a hype thing that is time consuming and in-efficient in nature?
                            T this point in time, there is much more 'hype' for the use of the smartphone. Smartphones have a place in the market and I think we will see it settling down to what can be done efficiently on the smartphone. I have a Galaxy Note but even that size screen is not suited for anything but reading email and that has to be swiped and moved back and forth. I will not use it for anything interned (other than email) There are a lot of apps designed to run on the smartphone but they are NOT designed for the smartphone. Only the tasks which are 'short and sweet' will survive on the smartphone. For companies with employees in the field, that's another animal but there to, a tablet with an air-card is a much better option.
                            TYVM :) kenn

                            Knowing what you can achieve will not become reality until you imagine and explore.

                            Comment


                              #29
                              Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

                              I think this says it all stealing from Ken's Signature " Knowing what you can achieve will not become reality until you imagine and explore"

                              Saying all of this if "hype" (I really am sick of that word) is going against what that statement says. It is all about the customer. What the customer want and delivering an efficient way of doing it. I have people who use their smartphones daily for key things to there job. It does'nt really matter what I think, it is key to them, therefore essential and important to THEM. And that is what it is all about. By thinking this is "Hype" (last time I use that word) you are going in with a negative attitude. By not offering these possibilities to your customers you are doing yourself and your customers a disservice. I remember when the Browser based stuff came out the negative and downright close mindedness of most "Desktop for life" guys amazed me. Now many of them are web(browser) guys only and would not even think about doing a desktop application. Same thing is happening for Mobile (touch enabled) (touch screens for certain desktop applications are great).

                              So in My opinion (for what it is worth) open your mind to some NEW possibilities and NEW revenue streams. Maybe, just maybe it might work for you.
                              Bill Griffin
                              Parkell, Inc

                              Comment


                                #30
                                Re: Is the mobile design anywhere near efficient?

                                Hello Bill,

                                Yes, you most certainly have an arguable point. Every time 'anything' new comes along, there is a certain amount of hype. That's just the way it is. You also made the point that there is at least some hype with the mobile and used browser based stuff an example which is precisely my point, which is, there will also be a certain amount of hype. The hype with the smartphones is that everyone or every business needs to have a smartphone app or your missing out. IMHO, by the time the phones, development time and fees are totaled up, it will be a no go. A cell phone app is an expensive investment and it's value is determined by the need, 'must have' vs 'like to have'.

                                I also agree, but only to a point, with your theory about giving a customer what he wants. If you know it won't work, ethically, the customer should be told it won't work or that is doing a much bigger disservice to the customer first and to you second. After all, is that not a reason why you are hired in the first place, to be honest and up front with the customer? Now, if your customer wants to try a new approach, I see nothing wrong with that as long as he knows he is spending money on something which might not work all that well.
                                TYVM :) kenn

                                Knowing what you can achieve will not become reality until you imagine and explore.

                                Comment

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