IPhone Application Development: An Opportunity That Cannot Be Ignored
The face of computing has fundamentally changed in the past four and a half years. Since 2005, when Steve Jobs first began Apple iPhone development, reinventing the computer interface and once again simplifying how we use computers to communicate, expectations for consumer electronics has slowly created a new kind of electronics consumer. Four year-olds now play Angry Birds at the doctor's office. Bored air travelers watch Netflix on their cell phones. Mobile businessmen can view PDF files, access databases, and track shipments. Consumer GPS devices, wristwatches, portable DVD players, portable video game devices, and even books are threatened with extinction thanks to one simple new device: the iPhone.
Before iPhone developers got the bug to create simple apps for mobile computing, desktop-bound BBS users (this was before the Internet) created homebrewed programs. A lone programmer could find success with a cleverly designed application, sold for a price often lower than the high-end corporate software found in computer stores. It was called shareware or freeware. In the late 90s and early 2000s, however, computing became more corporate and less independent. A classic example is a little company called Apogee, which created shareware games like Commander Keen and Wolfenstein 3-D. The company became a massive success, and went corporate'along with the rest of the majority of independent programmers.
However, smart phones like the iPhone have changed that. Simple apps created by independent programmers can now find huge critical and financial success on iTunes. Below, you will find a brief history of the iPhone, the basics of iPhone application development, the best online guides to develop iPhone apps, other resources to develop those apps such as an iPhone development book'even iPhone development on Windows. Read on to discover the remarkable opportunities available for developers on the iPhone.
History of Apple iPhone Development
Steve Jobs first cooked up the idea of the iPhone in 2005. His goal, as always, was to amalgamate the best computing technologies not widely available to consumers and turn them into a product that everybody loves.
Smart phones were, to say the least, in their infancy. Cell phones were widely popular, and text messaging was just becoming widespread'but that was the extent of consumer demand for cell phones. In business, Blackberry phones were probably the cutting edge of technology at the time, integrating email and other business-centric features.
Palm computers were insanely popular just a couple years before. They featured interfaces similar to what we now see on the iPhone, with basic business productivity applications, touch screens, rudimentary games, etc. For a time, palm computing was all the rage. However, those features had not yet been fully integrated into a cellular phone that consumers would love: most of those innovations were designed with business use in mind.
It is here that Steve Jobs' vision was so unique. Computer programmers often think about solutions narrow-mindedly--for solving business problems alone. Very few engineers and programmers of that level thought about consumers. Even though IBM's PC had created massive demand for consumer computing since 1981, no computing organization ever engineered for the 'average Joe' like Apple did with the Macintosh and then the iMac. The lesson is this: thinking like a consumer is the key to becoming one of the many successful iPhone developers.
Instead of designing a tablet computer, Jobs directed his engineers to design a phone that would eventually include business functionality, iTunes capability, video, a camera, a GPS, social networking capability (which capitalized on the just-becoming-insanely-popular Facebook and Twitter craze), and the possibility for games.
The phone was released in 2007 to astonishing popularity. With a cleverly designed and easy to use operating system, now called iOS, the sterling engineering and brilliantly simple interface contributed to a classic consumer-centric product for business and pleasure.
iPhone Application Development
If you want to throw your hat in the ring with iPhone application developers around the world, then the first word you need to learn is Xcode. It is the basic coding environment used to create all iPhone apps.
You need to register to become an Apple developer. You can do that online at Apple's development site. After that, you must become eligible to distribute your iOS application. You can do that by becoming a member of a development team, which unites you with a legal entity that sells the app as well as iOS and Mac's provisioning portals.
You then need a simulator for development. You may run a simulator on your Mac or PC'both options are available. If choose the option of iPhone development on Windows, then there are dozens of options available to you.
Once that is complete, the iPhone application developer must trick out a device to test the app out on. Apple's website contains instructions for doing that so you can run real world tests on an iPhone.
You will then code and test, code and test, code and test. Apple iPhone development should be a rigorous process, just like all aspects of computer programming. Apple is quite stringent when it comes to functionality in its applications, so make sure you have tested that app like crazy.
Once design and testing of your app is complete, you may submit it, through your entity, for distribution in Apple's App Store. Marketing, buzz, and other promotional methods may help you as you seek to turn your app into a splash. However, nothing beats solid development followed by real-world testing. Even Apple, after releasing a product to billions worldwide, always finds out about issues. Be ready to respond quickly and decisively to snuff those issues out: the development process never ends when the software is released.
iPhone Developers Guide Online
Apple has released a well-documented developer's guide online. In addition, there are tons of online resources available to you, covering the vast options available for those that aspire to create sweet iPhone apps.
Before you search for that online solution, you need to define what your process is for iPhone app development. Is iPhone development on Windows your preference? Are you a committed member of the cult of Apple, and want to develop only on a Mac? Are you prepared to create backwards-compatible apps that run on iOS versions 3 and before?
Do you have a particular environment you will use for iPhone app development? Like any aspect of programming, iPhone development hosts a number of environments that developers use to create tightly constructed applications for consumers. Research carefully: you want to find an environment that plays to your strengths as a developer. In addition, watch your production budget. If you are the sole developer, then you likely do not have the budget to generate fantastic music, a memorable graphical user interface, and'most importantly'stringent testing. Have a budget prepared, or a trustworthy group of testers that will volunteer, for exhaustive pre-release testing.
Resources for the iPhone Developer
There are three primary resources available for the burgeoning iPhone developer. With all of the resources listed, you will notice a recurring theme: research. As you search for a useful source of information on developing great iPhone apps, you must verify several key questions. Is the resource current? Is it reliable? Is that resource reputed to be comprehensive? What resources to already successful iOS developers run to when they face a development obstacle?
The first is the web. A number of websites and services are available online for developers that wish to build fine iPhone application products. In researching the web, it is important to perform a great deal of research. There is no method of becoming a great programmer and developer overnight. The process of designing, coding, and implementing a great iOS application is often intensely, repeatedly frustrating. You must be prepared to have the utmost patience, using a meticulous approach. As is often the case with coding, you may spend hours chasing down a misplaced punctuation mark or typo that throws your whole application into nonfunctional chaos.
The second resource available is books. Books for developing in iOS are already too numerous to name. Please note that such books are often outdated quickly. Again, when it comes to selecting resources for iPhone app development, the key word is research. You want an iPhone development book that has a comprehensive view of the latest techniques used to develop applications utilizing iOS. If not, you may find yourself very frustrated when you run into a coding problem that is not addressed in the iPhone development book you purchased. Also note that you may find these printed resources available in a Kindle format for reading on your iPhone, iPad, or other smart phone or tablet.
Thirdly, you may find numerous instructional videos on development for iOS. Once again the 'R' word comes into play here: research. All-encompassing research is required if you want to find a reliable development resource that will help you effectively code for iPhones. Some resources are free and easy to find utilizing online search engines. Others are set up by services requiring you to pay a fee in order to view those instructional videos. Whatever solution you choose, just remember to look on forums, etc. to get the buzz on those instructional videos and verify that product's veracity.
A Changing Industry
There is no single best iPhone development resource available. Technology seems to move faster than light. In the current consumer environment, customer demand seems to exceed the ability of corporations to provide them. The iPhone is a tremendous example of this: whenever a new iPhone is released, a waiting list ensues. Even a gigantic corporation like Apple has trouble shipping enough iPhones to meet consumer demand.
iOS changes quickly as well. Apple's software designers and engineers place a high value on quality, moving forward, and innovation. There are a lot of eyeballs on Apple since the passing of Steve Jobs. Will future iPhones continue to offer the innovation and new technologies their predecessors did? Without the shepherding hand of Steve Jobs, will Apple continue with its consumer-centric approach to computing?
An Opportunity That Cannot Be Ignored
There is no doubt that Apple has changed the way we think about computing. In addition, there is no doubt that developing applications for the iPhone provides phenomenal opportunities for developers everywhere. Apple's high quality expectations often translate into an unspoken goodwill for every app available in the store. That means the developer gains a reputation for quality just because Apple permitted an application of theirs to be downloaded and/or purchased. This is a key indicator not just of the power of the Apple brand, but of the temptation for developers to jump under the Apple development umbrella.
Developing iPhone applications is an opportunity that simply cannot be ignored. If you have any skill whatsoever in developing applications, then know that demand for iOS apps is at an all-time high. The economy may be on the outs, but for developers opportunity is everywhere. The independent developer especially might make a name by creating a simple application that fills a need. Steve Jobs saw a need that was ignored by the computer industry: consumers wanted a product designed for them, not for business computing. As a developer, do you see a need that is being overlooked by large development wheelhouses? If so, the iPhone might be the place for that application. Get coding and reap the rewards available to you.
Before iPhone developers got the bug to create simple apps for mobile computing, desktop-bound BBS users (this was before the Internet) created homebrewed programs. A lone programmer could find success with a cleverly designed application, sold for a price often lower than the high-end corporate software found in computer stores. It was called shareware or freeware. In the late 90s and early 2000s, however, computing became more corporate and less independent. A classic example is a little company called Apogee, which created shareware games like Commander Keen and Wolfenstein 3-D. The company became a massive success, and went corporate'along with the rest of the majority of independent programmers.
However, smart phones like the iPhone have changed that. Simple apps created by independent programmers can now find huge critical and financial success on iTunes. Below, you will find a brief history of the iPhone, the basics of iPhone application development, the best online guides to develop iPhone apps, other resources to develop those apps such as an iPhone development book'even iPhone development on Windows. Read on to discover the remarkable opportunities available for developers on the iPhone.
History of Apple iPhone Development
Steve Jobs first cooked up the idea of the iPhone in 2005. His goal, as always, was to amalgamate the best computing technologies not widely available to consumers and turn them into a product that everybody loves.
Smart phones were, to say the least, in their infancy. Cell phones were widely popular, and text messaging was just becoming widespread'but that was the extent of consumer demand for cell phones. In business, Blackberry phones were probably the cutting edge of technology at the time, integrating email and other business-centric features.
Palm computers were insanely popular just a couple years before. They featured interfaces similar to what we now see on the iPhone, with basic business productivity applications, touch screens, rudimentary games, etc. For a time, palm computing was all the rage. However, those features had not yet been fully integrated into a cellular phone that consumers would love: most of those innovations were designed with business use in mind.
It is here that Steve Jobs' vision was so unique. Computer programmers often think about solutions narrow-mindedly--for solving business problems alone. Very few engineers and programmers of that level thought about consumers. Even though IBM's PC had created massive demand for consumer computing since 1981, no computing organization ever engineered for the 'average Joe' like Apple did with the Macintosh and then the iMac. The lesson is this: thinking like a consumer is the key to becoming one of the many successful iPhone developers.
Instead of designing a tablet computer, Jobs directed his engineers to design a phone that would eventually include business functionality, iTunes capability, video, a camera, a GPS, social networking capability (which capitalized on the just-becoming-insanely-popular Facebook and Twitter craze), and the possibility for games.
The phone was released in 2007 to astonishing popularity. With a cleverly designed and easy to use operating system, now called iOS, the sterling engineering and brilliantly simple interface contributed to a classic consumer-centric product for business and pleasure.
iPhone Application Development
If you want to throw your hat in the ring with iPhone application developers around the world, then the first word you need to learn is Xcode. It is the basic coding environment used to create all iPhone apps.
You need to register to become an Apple developer. You can do that online at Apple's development site. After that, you must become eligible to distribute your iOS application. You can do that by becoming a member of a development team, which unites you with a legal entity that sells the app as well as iOS and Mac's provisioning portals.
You then need a simulator for development. You may run a simulator on your Mac or PC'both options are available. If choose the option of iPhone development on Windows, then there are dozens of options available to you.
Once that is complete, the iPhone application developer must trick out a device to test the app out on. Apple's website contains instructions for doing that so you can run real world tests on an iPhone.
You will then code and test, code and test, code and test. Apple iPhone development should be a rigorous process, just like all aspects of computer programming. Apple is quite stringent when it comes to functionality in its applications, so make sure you have tested that app like crazy.
Once design and testing of your app is complete, you may submit it, through your entity, for distribution in Apple's App Store. Marketing, buzz, and other promotional methods may help you as you seek to turn your app into a splash. However, nothing beats solid development followed by real-world testing. Even Apple, after releasing a product to billions worldwide, always finds out about issues. Be ready to respond quickly and decisively to snuff those issues out: the development process never ends when the software is released.
iPhone Developers Guide Online
Apple has released a well-documented developer's guide online. In addition, there are tons of online resources available to you, covering the vast options available for those that aspire to create sweet iPhone apps.
Before you search for that online solution, you need to define what your process is for iPhone app development. Is iPhone development on Windows your preference? Are you a committed member of the cult of Apple, and want to develop only on a Mac? Are you prepared to create backwards-compatible apps that run on iOS versions 3 and before?
Do you have a particular environment you will use for iPhone app development? Like any aspect of programming, iPhone development hosts a number of environments that developers use to create tightly constructed applications for consumers. Research carefully: you want to find an environment that plays to your strengths as a developer. In addition, watch your production budget. If you are the sole developer, then you likely do not have the budget to generate fantastic music, a memorable graphical user interface, and'most importantly'stringent testing. Have a budget prepared, or a trustworthy group of testers that will volunteer, for exhaustive pre-release testing.
Resources for the iPhone Developer
There are three primary resources available for the burgeoning iPhone developer. With all of the resources listed, you will notice a recurring theme: research. As you search for a useful source of information on developing great iPhone apps, you must verify several key questions. Is the resource current? Is it reliable? Is that resource reputed to be comprehensive? What resources to already successful iOS developers run to when they face a development obstacle?
The first is the web. A number of websites and services are available online for developers that wish to build fine iPhone application products. In researching the web, it is important to perform a great deal of research. There is no method of becoming a great programmer and developer overnight. The process of designing, coding, and implementing a great iOS application is often intensely, repeatedly frustrating. You must be prepared to have the utmost patience, using a meticulous approach. As is often the case with coding, you may spend hours chasing down a misplaced punctuation mark or typo that throws your whole application into nonfunctional chaos.
The second resource available is books. Books for developing in iOS are already too numerous to name. Please note that such books are often outdated quickly. Again, when it comes to selecting resources for iPhone app development, the key word is research. You want an iPhone development book that has a comprehensive view of the latest techniques used to develop applications utilizing iOS. If not, you may find yourself very frustrated when you run into a coding problem that is not addressed in the iPhone development book you purchased. Also note that you may find these printed resources available in a Kindle format for reading on your iPhone, iPad, or other smart phone or tablet.
Thirdly, you may find numerous instructional videos on development for iOS. Once again the 'R' word comes into play here: research. All-encompassing research is required if you want to find a reliable development resource that will help you effectively code for iPhones. Some resources are free and easy to find utilizing online search engines. Others are set up by services requiring you to pay a fee in order to view those instructional videos. Whatever solution you choose, just remember to look on forums, etc. to get the buzz on those instructional videos and verify that product's veracity.
A Changing Industry
There is no single best iPhone development resource available. Technology seems to move faster than light. In the current consumer environment, customer demand seems to exceed the ability of corporations to provide them. The iPhone is a tremendous example of this: whenever a new iPhone is released, a waiting list ensues. Even a gigantic corporation like Apple has trouble shipping enough iPhones to meet consumer demand.
iOS changes quickly as well. Apple's software designers and engineers place a high value on quality, moving forward, and innovation. There are a lot of eyeballs on Apple since the passing of Steve Jobs. Will future iPhones continue to offer the innovation and new technologies their predecessors did? Without the shepherding hand of Steve Jobs, will Apple continue with its consumer-centric approach to computing?
An Opportunity That Cannot Be Ignored
There is no doubt that Apple has changed the way we think about computing. In addition, there is no doubt that developing applications for the iPhone provides phenomenal opportunities for developers everywhere. Apple's high quality expectations often translate into an unspoken goodwill for every app available in the store. That means the developer gains a reputation for quality just because Apple permitted an application of theirs to be downloaded and/or purchased. This is a key indicator not just of the power of the Apple brand, but of the temptation for developers to jump under the Apple development umbrella.
Developing iPhone applications is an opportunity that simply cannot be ignored. If you have any skill whatsoever in developing applications, then know that demand for iOS apps is at an all-time high. The economy may be on the outs, but for developers opportunity is everywhere. The independent developer especially might make a name by creating a simple application that fills a need. Steve Jobs saw a need that was ignored by the computer industry: consumers wanted a product designed for them, not for business computing. As a developer, do you see a need that is being overlooked by large development wheelhouses? If so, the iPhone might be the place for that application. Get coding and reap the rewards available to you.