Unit 1: Introduction to Mobile Application Development
In this unit, we will take a broad look at mobile application development. We will learn about the different types of mobile devices, from mobile computers to smartphones, and we will compare web-based applications to native applications. Finally, we will study methods of transport, as well as Internet protocols for mobile applications.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 8 hours.
1.1: Definition of Mobile Computing
Watch this video, which provides a good overview of the Web and how mobile application development relates.
Read these slides. Click on the right of the current slide to advance to the next slide. This lecture discusses settings, users, devices, content, and transport related to mobile applications. As you read through the slides, think about the type of mobile devices you have in your own professional and personal life. How have these devices evolved? How do you define a mobile device? Are mobile platforms the same as mobile devices?
Read this article, which provides a good overview of mobile computing. As you read through this, think about how you use mobile devices.
1.2: Devices
This set of slides provides a look into the history of mobile applications. Click on the right side of the current slide to advance to the next slide. As you read through these, think about the evolution of mobile devices and applications in your own lifetime. How have devices changed? What new apps have become available? Do you think that this evolution has been beneficial to society? What can we learn from the history of mobile application development?
Read this page for an overview of the types of mobile devices that are currently on the market.
Read this article. As you read the article, think about how pervasive computing might be used. How would this technology be beneficial to mobile computing?
1.3: Web-Based Applications
Read this page, which provides some background for one to decide upon the best platform for a mobile application, whether that be a Web-based application or one native to the device.
Read this page, which provides a lot of background on the differences between native and web apps. It would be valuable for you to make a list of the differences between the two for future reference.
1.4: Native Applications
Read this article. Based on this article, do you think that native apps will be replaced by mobile sites?
Watch this video. Do you think that the predictions made by the participants in this video are correct?
1.5: History of Mobile Platforms
Read this article, which provides an overview of the history of mobile devices. Think about how mobile devices have changed, even since this article was written.
1.6: Internet Protocols for Mobile Apps
1.7: Content vs. Applications
There are six parts to this video series; please watch all six videos. This video series deals with both HTML and HTML5, which is an up-and-coming standard. It would be helpful for you to make some notes on this to compare and contrast HTML and HTML5. In a later unit, you will learn more about HTML.
Read this article, which provides a general overview of Java.
Read this page. Think about how web browsers have changed since this article was written.