Preface

The mobile channel has experienced phenomenal growth, but in a very disorganized manner. There are hundreds of different devices, each with its own features, capabilities, and software. And as the device is portable, it is used by people in a wide range of environments for an even wider range of purposes.

The problem this far is that mobile devices have been inappropriately regarded as miniature and portable personal computers. As a result, the paradigm of personal computing has been applied, and the strategies and design approaches have been ported from the Internet channel to the mobile one. The results have been less than impressive.

The mobile space is complex, but manageable, given that while technologies are in flux, certain principles remain valid. For example, the "carry principle" maintains that the mobile computing device will be constantly with the user, which has remained true as devices have changed, and is expected to remain valid even as they continue to evolve.

The present book is intended to guide product development professionals in delivering compelling mobile and wireless applications, and as such seeks to leverage concepts that are valid regardless of the specific platform for which the applications are intended.

It is specifically not a book about developing applications for a specific device or platform: many others exist for that purpose.