Tag Archives: mobility

There’s no such thing as an iPad app

After the reviews of the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 trickled out yesterday, the meme on Twitter seemed to be “Apple needs to create better iPad apps.” Nilay Patel of The Verge said it, @Lessian said it, and earlier @Monkbent said it.

While I agree with their intent—that iOS, now running on 64-bit processors, is fully capable of much more than apps do today—phrasing it in terms only of the iPad does a disservice to Apple, to UX designers, to developers, and to businesses.

I’m here to warn you today that there is no such thing as an iPad app. And if you think about it that way (thinking that iPhone and iPad—and even Mac OS X—apps are different things), then you haven’t fully grasped where Apple is moving to in the future.

It’s funny: in the past six months, the argument has completely inverted. Earlier this year, at a mobility conference, I gave a presentation called “You Can’t Ignore the Tablet”. Now, six months later, here I am warning people not to create iPad-only apps.

There are both technical and non-technical reasons why iPad-only apps don’t make sense. Here’s a list of 4 reasons why you don’t want to create an iPad-only app.

Continue reading →

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Are Sapphire Screens the Key to Hardened Mobile Devices for the Enterprise?

Sapphire screens have made a big splash in the rumor mill lately for the next generation of iPhones. All the stories I’ve read tout sapphire’s scratch resistance, shatter-resistance, and even caustic substance resistance as great for consumers–but what about the enterprise?

In the days of yore, Windows CE handhelds were available from some  manufacturers as ‘hardened’ devices to withstand the rigors of factories, and use by field workers and healthcare workers. However, two things conspire against the availability of hardened devices in the age of iOS and Android:  Continue reading →

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9 Steps to Enterprise Mobile App Self-Actualization: Part 3 of 3

Well, I finally finished the third installment of my blog post series “9 Steps to Enterprise Mobile Self-Actualization” on the Magenic.com web site.

If you’re looking for inspiration for your enterprise mobile strategy, and how to take your apps from blah (low ROI) to wow (high ROI), Continue reading →

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Do Enterprises Want a 13-inch iPad Pro?

A new rumor from Digitimes, reported by 9to5Mac, corroborates previous rumors (from The Wall Street Journal and others) of a larger, 13-inch iPad Pro.

While I agree with much of 9to5Mac’s analysis, I don’t agree with their comments about keeping the same form factor as the current iPad, nor do I agree with the rumor’s educational customer emphasis.

What would an enterprise like more than  Continue reading →

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9 Steps to Enterprise Mobile Self-Actualization, Part 2 of 3

I’m in the middle of creating a 3-part series on the Magenic web site titled “9 Steps to Enterprise Mobile Self-Actualization”.

The first installment talked about development technology. Over time, enterprises mature in the technology they use to address mobility.

The second installment, posted today, talks about audience. Enterprises often start with “We need an app, pronto!” in the consumer space. But this, too, tends to evolve over time, as more uses for mobility become obvious.

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Modern Apps Live! Conference on Enterprise Mobility and Azure

Join us at Modern Apps Live! in Orlando, Florida this week, where we discuss using a single Microsoft Azure back end to power iPad, Android, Windows Phone, and Windows 8 apps. I’ll be discussing how the iPad app was architected and coded, including third party libraries like AFNetworking and Azure Mobile Services.

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