Almost daily I am seeing examples of why the promise of write once, use anywhere will remain little more than an unfulfilled fantasy.
At issue is not code portability – that is the easy part. The issue is experience portability.
The latest: Study Slams Kindle Fire Usability: http://on.mash.to/
Creating a great user experience on a smartphone is far different than creating a great user experience on a tablet. As Ty Rollin, Chief Architect, Mobiquity said to me the other day, there are relevant differences when you actually start thinking about how the experience translates from one device category type to another (eg smartphone, tablet, desktop, TV, Appliance display) as well as though app types that are messaging centric, like SMS/MMS. Ty went on to caution that anyone who is considering an application built on the promise of write once, use everywhere, is likely to find themselves making significant application design and user experience compromises.
The result? Companies may well spend three times as much rebuilding and redeploying the application than if the design was done correctly in the first place. Of course there is also opportunity costs related to time and brand reputation when a user is disenfranchised because of a bad experience.
Companies who want to put their best foot forward will avoid the purveyors who propagate the write once, use everywhere fantasy – especially in the name of lower development costs and time to market. They are looking out for their own best interests, not yours.
Related articles
- Does the Kindle Fire have serious usability issues? (news.cnet.com)
