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Subject: Re: {Mobile Portland} Question on best practices
From: Jonathan Karon <m...@netjunky.com>
In-Reply-To: <5837891.24.1327696015136.JavaMail.geo-discussion-forums@prez15>
Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2012 08:27:37 -0800
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To: mobile-portland@googlegroups.com

On Jan 27, 2012, at 12:26 PM, Nancy Wirsig McClure wrote:

> When developing an app for a tablet, do you consider how it works for =
users who lack an always-on net connection?

Absolutely. In fact, if you're publishing to iPad Apple requires you to =
at least think about the issue, as they specifically test for SOME sort =
of response to the app functioning in an offline environment.

Unfortunately, it's really hard to solve problems like syncing hundreds =
of megs of content (even 10s of megs) in a media app when people expect =
things to just work immediately. News Stand definitely solves this for a =
certain class of media but if you're not making a periodical then that's =
not helpful, and people grumble about app download size as much as they =
do anything else.

There are obviously entire classes of apps for which offline usage is =
not possible, and other classes that don't use the network at all. For =
things in between solving the problem of online / offline state =
management and sync is an extra step that some developers choose to =
ignore and others work at religiously.

It really depends on the target market for the app and how much the =
added work of offline mode fits with the product vision.

~jonathan


>=20
> In other words...
> Mobile developers probably don't personally use wi-fi-only devices, =
but I'm less connected (I'm just a hanger-on here). I have a 1st gen =
iPad with only wi-fi, not 3G (although updated to the latest iOS). Like =
most consumers, I don't know how to use my smartphone as a hotspot, =
although I hope to learn.
>=20
> An example of software that fails for wi-fi-only users...
> I use four magazine apps to read the latest issues. TIME just updated =
their app, and now it loads the content selectively. It doesn't actually =
fetch an individual article from the net until I go to view the page (or =
perhaps it's based on page-blocks rather than articles). I used to be =
able to download the whole issue at once, and then read it when I'm not =
near a wi-fi hotspot. I totally relied on that feature.
>=20
> When developing for iPad, do you try to create a good UX on a =
wi-fi-only iPad? Or do you (or your clients) choose to disregard =
consumers like me?
>=20
> -- Nancy Wirsig McClure
>    Graphics for UI and more
>    http://www.hand2mouse.com
>=20
> --=20
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