Mobile strategy
Smart-phones are rapidly becoming huge:
- You don't need a smartphone just a smart media
player such as an iPod Touch which gives you everything an iPhone
does, including Internet via WiFi, but without the phone or the cost
of a monthly contract.
- Every teenager wants one.
- They are going to be cheap: Google have developed their Phone/Media Player OS called
Android and are giving it away for free. Many companies are about to
bring out Android devices. Nokia have a similar
strategy.
- The University is rolling out pervasive wireless.
Hence my prediction:
By January 2011 the idea of "going
to your computer" to "access the Internet" will seem out-dated and
naive to at least half our students. (Why January 2011? Because
it follows Christmas 2010!)
People will expect the Internet with them
where ever they go, at least in the University.
- We're making our main site as mobile-friendly as we can
without compromising it for full-screen browsers.
- We will shortly launch m-newton.ex.ac.uk which will have
exactly the same content as newton but with a different
template and style sheet.
- Design your pages without having a specific window size in mind.
We are putting together some styles and advice.
- Be patient! This is a learning curve for every one and I'm trying
to make our mistakes now, whilst it;s a bit ahead of the game to have
a mobile site, rather than when it becomes embarrassing.
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| The iPhoney
iPhone simulator (Macs only).
| Our own mobile layout tester.
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