Comments on: Maximizing your DROIT, or: why you should learn HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript for mobile development.

By: Aral Balkan · Why Adobe’s mobile strategy is fundamentally flawed

Aral Balkan · Why Adobe’s mobile strategy is fundamentally flawed — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 14:46:32 +0000

[...] this post for a more detailed discussion of Write Once, Run Anywhere and how it differs from Write Once, [...]

By: Thomas Hansen

Thomas Hansen — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:58:56 +0000

Pingback; http://ra-ajax.org/the-problems-of-apple-s-app-store-and-an-open-web-alternative.blog

By: Jeff Haynie

Jeff Haynie — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:51:48 +0000

Appcelerator Titanium is another option to consider for DROIT. We support building multiple device/OS based applications using pure open standards and open source. http://www.appcelerator.com

By: Mike Brunt

Mike Brunt — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:46:48 +0000

This is a very good run-through of the current state of mobile application development, in my opinion; thank you. James Pierce made a good point comparing the current situation to “Compuserve”; I would go further and say it is more akin to AOL as Compuserve went away largely because there was a paradigm shift in the underlying technology = Microsoft Windows. Going back a bit further, pre PC, there was a plethora of computers, Commodore, BBC, Dragon etc that is also similar to the present situation and Apple holds the same position they always have, to this day. The iPhone is a totally closely coupled, closed device and it is unfortunate for the development world that so developers slave to create apps for the iPhone only to have them rejected or lost in to 99,999 other apps and them have them run on nothing else; we need to stop worshiping the iPhone it is an out of step unergonomic brick and totally uncool as Verizon recently pointed out. My opinion is that the trio of CSS3, HTML5 and JavaScript are absolutely compelling for all the reasons you state here. Flash (ActionScript) is a different beast as it runs in a virtual machine which is largely predictable (iPhone excepted). The good news is that writing mobile apps in Flash or the web triumverate means they are portable. One last point, I am still trying to grasp why Google Android has gained so much ground, webOS really should be in that place.

By: Matthew Fabb

Matthew Fabb — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:42:38 +0000

Aral,

I think what you describe is Adobe’s previous attitude with FlashLite and I think things have changed at Adobe with the new mobile Flash Player 10.1. I could be wrong since we’ve yet to see Flash Player 10.1 anywhere beyond strictly controlled Adobe demos. The first beta should be available before the end of this year for Palm’s WebOS, with other devices to follow early next year. So we will have to see how that turns out.

Also while Adobe obvious missed the boat on the first round of powerful smartphones, it’s good to see them keeping on a eye with what’s coming and working to get Flash on top-set boxes, blu-ray players and internet-enabled televisions. However, that’s another area where keeping up your HTML skills could prove to be very helpful.

By: manifesto42

manifesto42 — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:43:48 +0000

I can relate to Nokia being the Microsoft of the mobile industry, and i am a Palm Treo (had a few, love the thing) guy myself, but have been looking on options on how to turn my mobile life around, and this maemo device, with all its tinks, pros, cons, and twirls, might just have all i need. And it all comes as a surprise because i had the iphone on the top of my list.

My background is geek, flex/flash – all in between – web developer, so i am not the average joe that goes for eye candy and runs in the same direction of the heard. ;-)

Still havent taken the plunge, but even you have to admit – and yes, jokes aside about the cpu raw super ultra power (same as iphone) – it does look interesting on the developer geeky side of things, no?

By: Open Letter to Joe Hewitt: Become a Gardener « Triptych

Open Letter to Joe Hewitt: Become a Gardener « Triptych — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:29:25 +0000

[...] messages, and the latest news. I recently read about something called “droit” ( see Aral Balkan’s article ) where it’s encouraged to: Seek: open standards and open [...]

By: Aral

Aral — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:28:57 +0000

Hey manifesto42,

First off, thank you for your kind words :)

Regarding the Nokia N900 and the Maemo, I have to admit that it has been off of my radar (thanks for bringing it to my attention, I will check it out.) The thing is, I could probably spend all my time (and budget) playing with new gadgets and I am assuming that this is true for other developers also. Nokia has been off my list for the longest time since I have just not been impressed with their offerings. I see them as the Microsoft of mobile.

That said, after your spirited championing of the N900, I will take a look at it and have a play in a store (here’s hoping that they have demo models and not plastic mock ups).

By: manifesto42

manifesto42 — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:22:54 +0000

Hi, Aral,

I enjoyed reading this article about web technologies for mobile, but i admit i spend the whole session waiting to see when you were going to talk about the maemo platform.With the launch this month of the new N900 by Nokia, isnt it a great right step into open platform development? It features a full spectrum of web mobile ready for the developers to step in, no?

Been following your articles (and tweets) with interest, and hear about iphone, palm pre, android mobiles, but never about the maemo. Is it that forgettable?

I admit it doesnt have the followers the iphone has, but we have to be fair and separate “fascination for apple and its new gadgets” and development/geekness and open source.

Forgive my rant, but have been looking with interest at maemo/N900 and since i value your opinion and views on the subject of mobile dev, it cant hurt to leave this here. :-)

By: Patrick H. Lauke

Patrick H. Lauke — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:04:32 +0000

personally, i have high hopes for W3C widgets, particularly once the issue of which device API to support (JIL, BONDI, other?) is cleared up. Vodafone’s 360 platform, for instance, already uses these, there are new web-connected TVs with widget managers built-in, and even on desktop you can run them (for instance with Opera – full disclosure: my employers).