Tracking Transmedia

...So, what is a proper mobile presence?

Web apps vs. native apps

There are two basic terms you need to know before I can answer this question:

• Web app – changing the layout of the information (still in HTML) in a way that is more suited for a mobile screen. The new layout can be attributed to a dedicated design template, or (if we didn’t throw around enough buzz-words so far) to a “responsive design” that takes into account the width of the screen on which it is presented and rearranges the elements in the layout to fit the screen.

To be fair, Steve Jobs said: “You don’t need apps, make Web apps.” After saying that, he realized that making apps is not where the tech world was going, and he created the App Store and billions of downloads have confirmed that this move was the right way to go.

• Native app – a dedicated app written in the original programming language of the mobile platform. This process creates the best results possible for an app.

There is a lively discussion on what is the best approach to adapt the Internet into the mobile world: Web app (because it is probably enough and it is after all the language of the Internet) or native apps (because of their strength and speed)....