In general it’s a nice idea to be able to use the mobile applications we have purchased for our iPhones and iPods on our iPads too. However, the user experience is pretty bad because iPhone apps are designed for a 480×320 screen.
The bottom line is: You are better off using a website instead of an iPhone app. Unless you are using a made-for-iPad app you should use your browser instead of these applications. Running regular iPhone apps on an iPhone is pretty lame.
Here is what you get when you display this on the 1024×768 iPad:
And here is what the corresponding website looks like on the iPad:
Which version would YOU prefer?
Have you ever wanted to control a remote computer? Then you have probably messed with VNC-based programs in the past. But the problem is that VNC is usually tied to a very specific port. And if you are behind a router or firewall you need to configure that device to allow you access to the computer. All really complicated, especially if you’ve never heard of HTTP ports and such.
TeamViewer solves all of these problems. It’s remote desktop software available for Windows, Mac, Linux and iPhone. All you need to do is start the software and enter the TeamViewer ID of the remote machine and a pre-defined password. TeamViewer does the rest. No more worries about port configurations and possible video drivers interfering. For non-commercial use it’s absolutely free and a must for every geek.
Download: http://www.teamviewer.com (no affiliate link)
My allusion to Bill Clinton’s famous phrase “It’s the economy, stupid” refers to the ongoing discussion about the price and value of hardware vs. software in consumer electronics.
Today Apple released their iPad, a new tablet computer that looks and works pretty much like a blown-up version of an iPod Touch. Many people seem to bash the iPad because its hardware is nothing special, also because it doesn’t even have a USB port. Why do I think it’s still a great piece of technology at a reasonable price?
It’s the software, primarily the operating system. Apple spend an awful lot of time on making things just work for the user. They invest a lot of research and development to make their products simple to use. No-one needs a manual for the iPod, iPhone or iPad. On the other side, there are even MP3 players that you can’t get working without consulting the manual.
Same thing with Mac vs. PC or iPhone vs. others. The hardware used is quite similar. The iMac isn’t using Motorola chips anymore but Intel. And the screen and the drives come from third parties too. The hardware is nothing special, designed in California but made in China. But it’s still superior because it just works. How many times have I had to help my dad figure something out on a Windows PC. I’ll just have to get him a Mac at some point.
Even if some devices give you much better hardware, their overall user experience still can’t compete. If your time is worth to you more than money, go for Apple. Yes, their products are not perfect and a bit more expensive. But with a one-time expense you can save yourself time everyday.
P.S. This post was written using the WordPress application on an iPhone. This is something I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish that smoothly with any other mobile device that I know.
Long time no post on the affiliate tracking front. I just want to share some exciting news with you.
As you know for a while I’ve been working for Sponsormob, the CPA Network for the Mobile Internet. We’ve released our download and conversion tracking for iPhone applicatiions. This means we can track installations of mobile apps on the iPhone, iPod Touch and the iPad.
Ads will be placed within other applications or on the (mobile) web. This is a 100% in-house solution and proprietary technoloy. While most of the online marketing world is still struggling with non-web transactions we went the extra mile and made it happen. We’re going to expand this to other mobile device platforms as well.
Thanks to Shawn Collins of Affiliate Summit and James Coops of Mobyaffiliates for the buzz. You should check out their blogs as well:
