iPhone, iPad and JavaScript

When iPhone was launched a few years ago, developers around the world lauded the improvement of mobile devices. iPhone and it is non-phone counterpart the iPod Touch were mobile devices that can easily humble a full powered computer made only a few years ahead of it is launch. The SDK was also provided for developers to create applications and earn through downloads and use. With more than 100,000 applications, Apple's mobile devices are certainly pushing the boundaries in mobile computing.

Apple was again on the center stage of technology when they recently announced their tablet offering to the market - the iPad. Although the name itself is quite awkward (it has become a great subject for jokes), it is certainly is a beautiful device. Some call it an enlarged iPhone (or iPod Touch) with a few additions because it has a large screen. But even though it has underwhelmed some, it has certainly made the tech world anticipate for its actual release.

The existence of iPad is also partly good news for developers. The company claims that most of the applications that can be used in iPhone can still be used in iPad. A small tweak may be possible for some applications but the iPad should work without any problem when used with popular applications.

But the fact that only "most" of the applications will work on the iPad, developers will then have to go through rigorous upgrades in their application. This will also affect developers who are contemplating creating applications for Apple's mobile devices. Questions such as "should I build for iPad or iPhone" will have to be answered before they even start building an application. This does not even include that additional learning requirements now that the iPad has arrived. With various SDKs to work with, it has become challenging for developers to choose which platform to work with.

This is where JavaScript and the power of web browsers will flourish. There are too many powerful mobile gadgets in the market and each of the well known devices comes with their respective operating system. But even though they come with a different OS, they have something in common - a browser that is JavaScript compatible. Forget about Flash because iPhone and iPad does not support Flash. But JavaScript exists in every browser and because of the increasing hardware capability of the mobile gadgets, almost anything run by JavaScript is possible.

The challenge right now is not necessarily on how you can work with various SDKs in various platforms. The biggest challenge right now is on how you can harness the power of the mobile gadgets without compromising some of the functions of the online application. This is possible through JavaScript because most of these devices are very powerful.

Right now, it is a lot better for developers to focus on APIs in JavaScript rather than pushing for additional learning in SDKs. The mobile world is catching up and it can run online applications in their browsers. With the right JavaScript API, the online application will work wonders even if they accessed through mobile gadgets.