Single web solution vs web app + mobile web app
-
We are trying to come to a conclusion on a SaaS product architecture, We want to discuss which architecture and development style should be preferred options Single web app : This will have a HTML5 based responsive/fluid layout making it possible to adjust / run on all devices like desktop, tablet and phones VS Web application for desktops + web mobile app using Kendo or similar controls We are actually doing POC to check if responsive layout has any restriction when it comes to web application development, any suggestions or points would be welcome Basic criteria 1. Development time + learning curve 2. Utilization of built in functionality of controls 3. Full browser vs mobile browsers limitations and functionality loss caused by one and others Any thoughts will be appreciated. Thanks Sagar
-
We are trying to come to a conclusion on a SaaS product architecture, We want to discuss which architecture and development style should be preferred options Single web app : This will have a HTML5 based responsive/fluid layout making it possible to adjust / run on all devices like desktop, tablet and phones VS Web application for desktops + web mobile app using Kendo or similar controls We are actually doing POC to check if responsive layout has any restriction when it comes to web application development, any suggestions or points would be welcome Basic criteria 1. Development time + learning curve 2. Utilization of built in functionality of controls 3. Full browser vs mobile browsers limitations and functionality loss caused by one and others Any thoughts will be appreciated. Thanks Sagar
Well, it largely depends on the kind of service you want to deliver. I have developed a few games on HTML5 and would say, the learning curve is not much if you are not new to the programming world. There are large number of resources from beginner to pro to help you move forward. With HTML5, the biggest challenge will be the user base with IE. Apart from that, customizing for different screens and devices isn't much of a issue. Audio tags doesn't work in Android 2.1 and below, but guess most of the devices are now 2.2+ Depending upon your layouts and design, you may want to keep your resize variables in check. Also, the cool thing is you can force users to use portrait/landscape view if you want to. Helps in layout customization.
Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality!!! http://aniruddhaloya.blogspot.com
-
Well, it largely depends on the kind of service you want to deliver. I have developed a few games on HTML5 and would say, the learning curve is not much if you are not new to the programming world. There are large number of resources from beginner to pro to help you move forward. With HTML5, the biggest challenge will be the user base with IE. Apart from that, customizing for different screens and devices isn't much of a issue. Audio tags doesn't work in Android 2.1 and below, but guess most of the devices are now 2.2+ Depending upon your layouts and design, you may want to keep your resize variables in check. Also, the cool thing is you can force users to use portrait/landscape view if you want to. Helps in layout customization.
Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality!!! http://aniruddhaloya.blogspot.com
Thanks for reply, I was more concerned about Single solution vs Web App + mobile web app approach Yes IE is going to be challenging specially when we are building a business application. but question is would single solution be better over other frameworks like Kendo, ExtJS etc Sagar
-
Thanks for reply, I was more concerned about Single solution vs Web App + mobile web app approach Yes IE is going to be challenging specially when we are building a business application. but question is would single solution be better over other frameworks like Kendo, ExtJS etc Sagar
As I said, the final design will largely depend upon the service model and requirements. For instance, if your app requires user to be connected to internet to be able to use it... then it might as well serve better to have a web app. Its not possible to comment which one will serve better w/o knowing what functionality they are going to have. Biggest Adv of HTML5 app is a uniform code-base and you will not have to worry (about user upgrades) when adding/upgrading to new features. A native app allows you to store information locally which can be retrieved easily in offline mode. HTML5, with local storage, does allow data storage... but that may not be as much as native app (I'm not very sure about data storage details as I haven't used them for HTML5 app)
Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality!!! http://aniruddhaloya.blogspot.com
-
We are trying to come to a conclusion on a SaaS product architecture, We want to discuss which architecture and development style should be preferred options Single web app : This will have a HTML5 based responsive/fluid layout making it possible to adjust / run on all devices like desktop, tablet and phones VS Web application for desktops + web mobile app using Kendo or similar controls We are actually doing POC to check if responsive layout has any restriction when it comes to web application development, any suggestions or points would be welcome Basic criteria 1. Development time + learning curve 2. Utilization of built in functionality of controls 3. Full browser vs mobile browsers limitations and functionality loss caused by one and others Any thoughts will be appreciated. Thanks Sagar
If it's SaaS the web is really your only option. To compete with others in the mobile device environment and provide a SaaS, you'll need to be providing something unique. The mobile market is competitive and users typically have short attention spans. Unless its a service users can't get elsewhere, it has to offer a platform-specific UX to succeed. Regarding mobile development, from my experience if you focus on one mobile platform and develop the app to its potential. Writing for the second platform is a lot cheaper because, to a larger extent, the problem domain has been resolved.
"You get that on the big jobs."