Popular Twitter client TweetDeck announced today its plans to make TweetDeck into a browser-based mobile application that can run on a variety of devices. By focusing on building an application for the mobile browser — rather than native platforms — TweetDeck hopes it can get on more devices and increase efficiency in the process.
TweetDeck (TweetDeck) already has apps for the iPhone (iPhone) and iPad, with plans for an Android (Android) app also in the works. However, for the hundreds of millions of smartphones out there that aren’t iPhone or Android models, the development process is more complicated, and thus a web app is a better alternative.
By creating a web app, TweetDeck will be able to support Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, Symbian and webOS handsets. The mobile web app strategy has other benefits too, including improved battery life and overall performance.
Right now, it looks like TweetDeck is building a basic mobile website that will provide custom hooks for JavaScript and CSS for different platforms. That way the Palm Pre, which has a more advanced browser than, say, a BlackBerry Curve 8320, can offer its users a more interactive and robust experience. The BlackBerry user can still enjoy the app, but it will be tailored to the device’s screen size and browser capabilities.
Fits with TweetDeck’s Overall Vision
Tweekdeck’s plan for a mobile web app aligns well the company’s desktop application strategy. Built using Adobe Air (adobe AIR), TweetDeck is designed to be cross-platform — it can run on Macs as well as PCs running Windows (Windows) or Linux (Linux). However, just as TweetDeck plans to make concessions and adjustments for mobile platforms, the company has also made tweaks with its desktop product to improve performance in different environments (like in Mac OS X).
There are pros and cons to doing cross-platform development on a shared codebase, but for development teams with more limited resources, the approach is attractive because it lets developers focus more on making iterative improvements to the software rather than creating and maintaining separate programs for each platform.
If anything, this strategy works even better in the mobile browsing space, not just because of the way that different platforms and rendering engines can be targeted, but also because of the additional level of overhead involved with mobile app creation. Each application has its own platform, its own app store, its own rules and procedures for issuing updates, and its own set of supported operating systems. It’s much easier to build an application targeted for mobile browsers and then add or omit features based on what type of device is accessing the page.
If you’re interested in beta testing TweetDeck for mobile browsers, you can throw your hat in the ring by replying to this support ticket.
We’re not sure how TweetDeck for the mobile web will measure up against native mobile apps, but it will certainly make the application available on many more devices.
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