There are numerous factors to consider when developing applications for mobile devices.Given the abundanceand variation of these devices challenges are immediately encountered due to the differences in features form device to device. Difficulties arise out of not only the physical differences between devices, like screen resolution and display size, but their technical capabilities such as amount of memory and network connectivity options and support for a variety of different interfaces. Given these differences it seems necessary to determine the most efficient production means to suit the targeted user wether it be a group of users on a single device or a swath of users of a single operating platform with a variety of devices.
Developing in a mobile environment seems to require either a very specified approach, appealing to a small selection of devices, or a very broadened, development intensive approach. Both seem to have their advantages and disadvantages. The specified approach results in a cutback in initial development time and is useful in instances where the need for creating variations are low or unnecessary. The broadened approach tends to be very development intensive initially, but results in much more fluidity when creating variations for numerous devices.
Given the pros and cons of these development methods and keeping in mind the users of the application being developed there lies a challenge in determining a specific development strategy that maximizes availability to the target demographic, reduces superfluous development expenses, and allows for flexibility in the creation of variations, so the application in question becomes a continual investment.
Citations
Fling, Brian. Mobile Design and Development. : Sebastopol, Calif. : O’Reilly Media, 2009.Erica Sadun. iPhone Developers Cookbook. : Addison-Wesley Professional, Octover 23, 2008.