Legal Commentary

iPhone app vs. mobile friendly site

By David Canton

That’s the title of my Slaw post for today.   It reads as follows:

Omar wrote recently about the Tory’s iPhone app.   And some individuals, such as Michael Geist and Jim Carroll have created iPhone apps.  They essentially provide an iPhone friendly way to consume one’s web site, blogs, twitter, etc.

There is another point of view that says to forget that kind of iPhone app - and just make your web site or blog phone friendly.  This point of view essentially says that people don’t want to download an app for every site they want to go to.  And not everyone has an iPhone.

My blog, for instance, is readable on a mobile device, but leaves a lot of white space that is easy to get lost in.   I added a plugin this morning to test it out, which makes it easier to read on a phone.  Its not perfect, and leaves off a couple of things I’d like to have, but it is certainly easier to use. 

Any new web page or redesign should be done with mobile consumption in mind. 

What do Slaw readers think – go for the iPhone app, or focus on mobile friendly?

Full post as published by eLegal Canton on March 24, 2010 (boomark / email).