Creating an iPhone SectionPrev TopicNext Topic

• nilor

  

  St Augustine
  United States
  Member #73,784
  April 24, 2009
  6 Posts
  Offline
  Apr 26, 2009, 2:44 am

  ▲▼

  With the tremendous growth of the iPhone as a mobile device and the availability of numerous applications dealing with lotteries, would you be interested in creating a section at the Lottery Post to discuss these native and web applications.  In case you are not familiar with the differences between a native and a web application, a native application resides on the device and may occasionally connect to the network to retrieve information.  A web application on the other hand, is totally dependent on a remote server to perform any work, much like your web mail (gmail, hotmail, etc).  One of the advantages of the iPhone is both (native and web) apps have almost the same look and feel.  And both, have advantages and disadvantages.  In case you are not familiar with the app store, it is a place that allows developers to sell their native applications, after they have gone thru an approval process by Apple.  Web applications on the other hand are accessed thru the Apple safari web browser on the device.  One of the deficiencies of the App Store is once you buy, you are stuck with it.  So users are often hesitant to buy.  The App Store has a 1 to 5 star rating system, but unscrupulous developers often skew the results by having their friends provide unwarranted raving reviews.  This new section can serve as a way to be informed of the useful and the not so useful applications lurking at the app store.
• diamondpalace

  

  United States
  Member #60,282
  April 12, 2008
  3,857 Posts
  Offline
  Apr 26, 2009, 4:04 am

  ▲▼

  Perhaps one day I'll have an app. The developer's fee is quite costly, also need to learn how to code the thing to work, but that's quite advanced stuff with SDK and XCode. Would be good to use it on my iphone the things I created in excel (due to the lack of real software programing knowledge), and that limit one to be stationary, not mobile. Love using iphone apps, the latest one I downloaded was FML, it's amusing.

  Anyway, I think if a forum section is created it would be under "Lottery Software" or something in that nature. With over 1 billion downloads of iphone apps, it's still small comparing to other softwares (PC and MAC) combined that are not lottery related. So having a forum that opens up to software creations and discussions will allow all developers with lottery interests to join in. Each in their own threads under one roof.
• nilor

  

  St Augustine
  United States
  Member #73,784
  April 24, 2009
  6 Posts
  Offline
  Apr 26, 2009, 10:03 am

  ▲▼

  The price of the developer fee is actually relative.  For $100 annually, you get all of the tools (xcode, interface builder, instruments), tech support and most importantly access to millions of potential customers around the world.  The $100 may also be a way to discourage people from signing up who are not going to develop apps.  Also, Apple keeps 30% of the proceeds from the sales  to cover the fulfillment(download, update notifications, billing) of your application to users.  So, it is not a trivial process to develop and maintain a native application.  Believe it or not, Apple retest every release of your application to make sure it is compliant with their rules.  I think this is crazy. 

  A web app can be as complex as any website on the internet.  You're basically using hooks into Apple's safari browser to make a web application appear like a native application.  So, if you already have a website that provides some content, you can automatically route users who access the site from a mobile safari browser to a version optimized for their smaller screen.  So, a web app may be the way to go, if you are already on the web.
• Scott311

  

  N.C.
  United States
  Member #59,227
  March 9, 2008
  336 Posts
  Offline
  Apr 26, 2009, 11:00 am

  ▲▼

  This is a great idea!
• hearsetrax

  

  United States
  Member #52,343
  May 21, 2007
  3,792 Posts
  Offline
  Apr 26, 2009, 3:01 pm

  ▲▼

  color me curious ......

  
• ZEN

  

  CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
  United States
  Member #40,435
  June 1, 2006
  183 Posts
  Offline
  Apr 26, 2009, 3:37 pm

  ▲▼

  

   

  ZEN
• budward

  

  United States
  Member #33,294
  February 19, 2006
  699 Posts
  Offline
  Apr 26, 2009, 3:48 pm

  ▲▼
  In response to nilor

  Quote: Originally posted by nilor on Apr 26, 2009

  The price of the developer fee is actually relative.  For $100 annually, you get all of the tools (xcode, interface builder, instruments), tech support and most importantly access to millions of potential customers around the world.  The $100 may also be a way to discourage people from signing up who are not going to develop apps.  Also, Apple keeps 30% of the proceeds from the sales  to cover the fulfillment(download, update notifications, billing) of your application to users.  So, it is not a trivial process to develop and maintain a native application.  Believe it or not, Apple retest every release of your application to make sure it is compliant with their rules.  I think this is crazy. 

  A web app can be as complex as any website on the internet.  You're basically using hooks into Apple's safari browser to make a web application appear like a native application.  So, if you already have a website that provides some content, you can automatically route users who access the site from a mobile safari browser to a version optimized for their smaller screen.  So, a web app may be the way to go, if you are already on the web.

  Sounds like a cheap price for the potential outcome.
  Who do you contact to get started?

  Isabel, you are going to feel very silly when this turns out to be make-believe.
• nilor

  

  St Augustine
  United States
  Member #73,784
  April 24, 2009
  6 Posts
  Offline
  Apr 26, 2009, 5:59 pm

  ▲▼

  Do a google search on "Apple Developer" and you should have all the information you need.  The iPhone approval process takes a few weeks.  But once you sign up as a basic mac developer, which is free by the way, you get access to everything.  The iPhone approval lets you actually install a native application on the physical device for testing.  So, before you are approve you must test on the iPhone simulator, which is this iPhone looking application.
• budward

  

  United States
  Member #33,294
  February 19, 2006
  699 Posts
  Offline
  Apr 26, 2009, 10:21 pm

  ▲▼

  Thanks for the info, nilo.
  
  I have an app I'm going to try to submit.

  Isabel, you are going to feel very silly when this turns out to be make-believe.
• nilor

  

  St Augustine
  United States
  Member #73,784
  April 24, 2009
  6 Posts
  Offline
  Apr 28, 2009, 4:51 pm

  ▲▼

  FYI, most applications that runs on an iPhone will also run on an iPod Touch.  In the latest iterations of iPod Touches, the only different between the iPhone and iPod Touch is the cell Phone and vibrate feature.  So, most discussions referring to iPhones includes iPod Touches.  So, if you have an iPod Touch and a wireless network, you may benefit from these discussions.  I hope this doesn't change anybody's vote :-)

  But seriously, I hope this clears up any confusion.