Think multi-screen
When we talk about apps for devices these days we are no longer talking about one device. Today we are talking about a multitude of devices and device platforms. The multi-screen story is also no longer about just different smartphones. We’re also talking about tablets, netbooks, set-top boxes, and Blu-ray players. Building applications for all of these can be a bit challenging to say the least. Dealing with different operating systems, device features, and screen sizes can be a bit of a nightmare.
In previous posts I already talked a bit about how the Flash Platform can help you with that. Flash was originally designed to run on multiple platforms and adapt to different screen sizes. This post is not about that though. I wanted to write down some thoughts about multi-screen applications from a user’s standpoint.
First of all, when you start thinking about building an application for devices it is a very good idea to make sure you have a multi-screen strategy. It’s not just about iOS devices anymore! “If we have two more quarters like this past quarter, Google will have 37% market share, RIM will be at 29%, and Apple will be at 26%“, Fred Wilson (a VC in New York) recently said in a blog post about where mobile developers should focus. He ends his post with this: “One thing I am sure of is that developing solely for iOS, which is a very common thing I see out there, is not the right strategy unless you only want to serve 25% of the market.”
Now building your apps for multiple devices is one thing… But what about the app’s content?
Evernote is a great example of a multi-screen application. I can run the app on my smartphone, on my tablet, in my browser or as a standalone application on my desktop/laptop. The best thing is that it keeps my notes in sync. It doesn’t matter where I am or which device I use. I always have my notes with me. Once I create new notes they automatically get synced with all the other apps when you are online. Simple concept, right? I really love this approach and would love to see this in all my apps. I try to mimic this by using Dropbox. I save all my project files on there so I can use them on both my laptop and desktop. Kindle by Amazon is also a good example (Thank you Chris Pelsor for pointing that out). There are Kindle apps for multiple devices and they all use the unique features that each device has to offer. You also have all your books available to you across all apps.
Like many of you I am also addicted to Angry Birds. I have it installed on my smartphone and on my tablet… But they are not connected to each other. Wouldn’t it be great if you could just open up the app on your tablet and continue playing the same level you last played on your phone? And maybe later continue playing the same level on your desktop? Or on your TV?
But I want even more… Wouldn’t it be great if one day you get a new computer, type in your credentials, and all your apps and content will start syncing automatically? I guess that is what Google is trying to do with ChromeOS. I must say that I really like the idea of not having to be tied to one machine. Obviously there are some privacy issues that we must conquer but I really like the concept.
Anyway… What I want to say is that when you start building your multi-screen applications stop and think about these things for a second. If your game has different levels or your application saves notes you may want to offer the user a way of syncing that across multiple devices. I’m sure your user will appreciate it!
Why I switched to Rackspace Cloud + get a $25 voucher for your new account
Before I start about why I moved to Rackspace Cloud, I want to make it clear that I had no problems with my old host whatsoever. I’ve used Hetzner for my hosting the last oh… 5 years or so and really haven’t had any big problems. So why did I move? First of all, let me explain what I used for hosting at Hetzner. I used one of their managed servers to host some of my friends’ blogs and random sites. On top of that, I had a dedicated box for my blog and my ColdFusion install. The biggest reason I started looking for another solution was that I had no time to keep my dedicated box up to date, which was really starting to become a problem. So I looked at a number of hosting companies to see what they offered. With the Dollar to Euro ratio being what it is today, I favored US hosting companies. For flexibility, I also favored cloud hosting. I like the fact that I don’t have to worry about my server the next time I get featured on Techmeme.
So what do I like about Rackspace Cloud?
I really like their offering and how easy it is to choose. Cloud Sites is basically a managed solution. $100/month gives you the equivalent of a 2.8GHz machine in a clustered environment. You also get 50GB of space, 500GB of monthly bandwidth, automatic backups, SSL support and access to a live, fanatical 24/7 support team (and they really are fanatical!). You can even mix a LAMP server setup with a .NET setup. (I really hope they will add ColdFusion to this mix as well… *hint* *hint*)
They also have an offering for Cloud Servers. These are virtual dedicated machines and this is what really persuaded me to go for Rackspace Cloud. I really like that you only pay for what you use. If you’re not using the server, you don’t pay anything. This is perfect for development and testing servers but also for setups that you don’t use as often. The Cloud Servers are also flexible. You can start off with their smallest server (10GB HD/256MB RAM) and scale it up when you need more space or RAM. The Rackspace Cloud control panel is very easy to use and gives you a great overview of how much your servers are consuming.
I ended up signing up for a Cloud Sites account and also signed up for a 40GB HD/1GB RAM Cloud Server. I moved all the blogs (including this one) and sites to the Cloud Sites account and installed ColdFusion 9 on the Cloud Server. The move was a very smooth ride! I’ve been using this setup for a month now and was very happy to find out that I’m now paying a little more than a third of what I used to pay for my hosting (obviously also thanks to the Dollar to Euro ratio).
If you want to try Cloud Sites yourself, I have a $25 promotion code for you.
Just use the promo code [email protected] when you sign up for a new Cloud Sites account and you will receive $25 off your first month’s Cloud Sites hosting bill. But hurry up… The promo code is only valid until December 1st.
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