Can anyone make iPhone apps?

[Adams_16v]

Hi all.

I have never used a Mac myself, but am looking to make or have made an iPhone app.

It would basically be a front end to browse products on a retail shop. The database would already be there, and I can provide all graphics etc.

Are they easy to make? Is it worth me getting a MAC to do it myself?

 

[Revels]

Markie (i think that's his name) built a web app. Prowlr. That's really good.

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?t=481262&highlight=prowlr

 

[.Ben.]

The new version of Adobe Flash (CS5) is supposed to make creation/ development of native iPhone Apps a lot easier for those without a knowledge of Objective C.

>source<

 

[hydeyho]

Does it have to be a native app? Why don't you just create it as a web app.

 

[Adams_16v]

Thanks mate. Well we do have a mobile version of the site already. But a native app would be nice, so people can always be logged into their accounts and add products to their favourite lists. we have over 25,000 products so sliding across to move from product to product would be nice. Push notifications would be beneficial too

I will check out that link Revels, cheers!

 

[sn00p]

What you've described would be best done as a web app, it'd take you (given that you know css, html and javascript very well) very little time to do.

This site here:

http://developer.apple.com/safari/library/referencelibrary/GettingStarted/GS_iPhoneWebApp/index.html

Documents all the iPhone css information and provides examples on how to make your iPhone web app look and behave like a native app.

I know you already have a mobile version, but if the browser is mobile safari then just take it to the iPhone web app instead of the normal mobile site.

If you want to do a native app, then your learning curve is going start fairly steeply as you'll be learning objective c and cocoa at the same time.

If you really really really want a native app and it's the only way to achieve what you want (i.e push notifications can only be done in a native app), then I may be able to help you out, but I don't have much free time sadly, although I can answer questions!

 

[Adams_16v]

Thats brill, will check it out! cheers for the input matey!

 

[Rob]

How funny you should start this today, a good friend of mine designed this, on the front page of the Sun website today

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2895360/Blondes-iPhone-app-to-fire-up-lazy-fella.html


EDIT: It's be pushed off the front page now

 

[m4rkie23]

We went down the route of a web app for prowlr for a number of reasons:

- we are not as competent on apple coding as we would like to be
- we did not want to go through the apple store for update purposes (there are alot that goes on behind the scenes, we have already updated prowlr a number of times in the background for "bug fixes" that we have just rolled out, no apple involvement required.
- you have to pay to be licensed for SDK, something we did not want to do to start with as we were unaware how many users we would get
- apart from marketing the "app", once it is on your iphone/touch, there is very little difference between a web app and an actual app, they operate in the same way

obviously for a business this is different. a retail business more than likely has a marketing/advertising budget, so incorporate the app into that. i cant imagine making the app would be that expensive for professionals if you have ALL the content, the costs (i imagine) would be on the upkeep if you are unable to do this yourself. (for us this was not an option, we are just 3 friends who built the basis of the app for us, then when it worked we developed it into a released item. we are working on updates, and a new UI, but the main issue for us is there is not a reliable and openly availble API for the UK show dates)

you dont need to have an app for sliding, there are templates available for this, but if you want push, a native app is the only way of acheiving this.

good luck mate!

 

[furry_cup]

give it a go yourself Craig, id say you were pretty capable of doing it.

Some of the people i work with did this app

http://www.tearoundapp.com/

 

[m4rkie23]

lol. that looks great!!!!

 

[furry_cup]

Yeah the designer is really talented, I'm building a couple of sites that he has designed.

 

[cava83]

Thanks mate. Well we do have a mobile version of the site already. But a native app would be nice, so people can always be logged into their accounts and add products to their favourite lists. we have over 25,000 products so sliding across to move from product to product would be nice. Push notifications would be beneficial too

I will check out that link Revels, cheers!

Adams = did you ever built an app in the end? I am looking into this now for a client, but haven't programmed in Objective C yet.

 

[cava83]

sorry, double post.