Digital Design Blog

Apple: Further blurring the line between phone and PC

The line between phone and PC continues to get hazier with the recent release of Apple’s web application directory for use with the iPhone and iPod Touch. Included on the site is a substantial index of mobile web applications submitted by third-party developers, in addition to sample code and information on how to submit your own web application (you need to be a registered developer to do this). iPhone versions of Facebook and Digg are among the favorites so far.

Apple has received its share of grief for restricting third-party application development to the Safari environment, however, as with Facebook apps, iPhone widgets are relatively easy to create and so the bar for entry is relatively low. Application developers are able to access iPhone applications such as phone, email and Google maps via Safari’s WebKit engine. Sample code demonstrating this functionality can be obtained from the site in addition to an iPhone Human Interface Guideline document.

One inconvenience for developers is the lack of an accurate emulator. Because there are significant display differences between what you see on the desktop version of Safari and what you get on the iPhone, development requires continual back and forth between desktop, server, and device. Apple Web Application Directory