Mobile Ministry Magazine

I commented on a recent post at the Mobile Opportunity blog that the idea of hybrid apps is something that should be better explored, especically by Bible software manufacturers. As more and more users are expecting to interact with their content online, yet be able to use it profitably offline as well, to do an hybrid (or RIA in developer speak) application is not just a possiblity, but the way applications are gonig.

So what are some possible routes that these hybrid applicaitons can go? As one developer noted (referenced in the MO blog), there are 3 million platforms with 100 users each. In other words, with over 3.3 billion users of mobile phones, there are very few dominant platforms. There really isn't any that are. Unless one wants to say that the browser is. And then things get interesting. One, because there are several players, but two because most of them are trying to bring the best web solution after the aftermath of the iPhone.

Some examples of developer tools for making hybrid applications include Java, Adobe AIR, Silverlight, Flash, and just plain ole' CSS/XHMTL-driven AJAX. For the most part, mobile browsers can do the latter, but its when you add that additional layer via something like Adobe AIR, things can really get interesting. Besides creating something that is accessible online, the paradigm of use is extended to blend the online-offline realms and then richer content and productivity can be taken into account.

The positives in this approach are that content publishers can keep their licenses and continue to sell their content. Softawre developers though would be resigned to creating facnier and more intuitive packaging, drawing people in with service add-ons such as online storage or integration with other web services. And finally end-users will have competiting and mostly useful solutions for staying informed, but also connected towards their preference. The downside of this is that there will be more subscription-based services, but as you move from a client-application to a service-application model this is something that is bound to happen (as services meet critical mass this cost is a lot easier to swallow all around).

An example of a near-hybrid Bible reader application is Laridian's iPocketBible. Its a browser service/application that allows the transfer of content from the iPhone/iPod Touch owner's device to any other device that has a suitable browser. And with added features such as the new bookmarks and desktop syncing, its only a matter of time before others come, and take what we know of as just a browser and make it more than just a place to consume information.

Another example of this is Google Gears. Google Gears allows for some AJAX driven websites to be used offline, and then when the user gets a connection again, sync back to the online item. When I was at Bible study last night, I began by using eBible and wished for this functionality to be something there for my notes. Wouldn't you know that a port of Google Gears for the Internet Tablet had even been released. Now it would be up to websites to support such a feature (here's one way to do so) and then users to take it and run.

There's more than a place for hybrid apps to take up where many of us have been disappointed in the condition of mobile Bible readers. The question now is if developers and companies see the writing on the wall, and take things a considerable step towards a future of ubiquious connectivity.

Labels: browser, community, software