dotMobimobiThinkingmobiForgemobiReadyDeviceAtlasfind.mobigoMobi

Posts Tagged ‘iPad’

goMobi Challenge — Extended and iPadded!

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

The goMobi Challenge is on now!

Given that it’s been a very hot summer this year, we decided everyone needed a few days to regroup for the goMobi Challenge.
Since we want to see just how personalized you can make a goMobi site, we’re giving you a little extra time to show us your stuff. We’ve extended the contest through October 17, 2010.

And along with the first-prize package of 100 one-year subscriptions to the goMobi product and highlighting you and your winning entry via an international press release, we’re giving the winner a 16 GB, WiFi-enabled iPad (all the better for looking at mobile websites).

But time is still short, so get going now.

Meet goMobi, our new product for SMBs, Web designers and developers

Monday, June 21st, 2010

goMobi LogoAs you likely saw earlier today, dotMobi has launched a new product: goMobi. While our Instant Mobilizer product served a specific niche in transforming existing content, goMobi is a major leap in capabilities — and possibilities.

goMobi is more than a mobile site builder or content management system. It’s a hybrid of the two that addresses the content gap on the mobile Web.

Content gap?

In the past few years, there’s been significant progress in mobile technology, particularly with smarter handsets and faster networks. Content, the third leg of the “mobile stool” — along with handsets and networks — has not kept up with innovations. goMobi addresses this gap by understanding that good content is about experience. A good experience is about relevance. Most mobile sites currently mistake “Mobile Relevance” for the same as “Desktop Relevance,” only smaller. goMobi corrects that assumption.

As we’ve often said, dotMobi believes that the mobile Web is nothing like the desktop Web, and should not be modeled after it. In that way, for instance, we have a similar attitude as Apple does towards the iPad and its standard Macintosh computers.

goMobi Mobile Site

goMobi Mobile Site, built using dotMobi's new goMobi product.

The mobile interface should be about what the mobile user may want to do, and should be individualized to achieve the best possible experience for each customer.

goMobi meets those needs by delivering the first truly usable content mobilization platform. goMobi is:

  • A hybrid between a traditional content management system and a mobile Web site builder,
  • A hybrid between the desktop Web experience and the client-side smartphone experience,
  • A hybrid of a rich set of mobile capabilities with a practically automatic, “non-techie” interface.

The end result for an SMB is the opportunity to create and grow a mobile presence without needing to be knowledgeable about latest trends or technology. goMobi takes care of that.

The end result for the mobile Web user is accessing a Web site that gives you the ability to do exactly what you want to do — quickly, easily and completely.

One of the things I’m especially excited about is that the goMobi platform has been designed for quick extensibility, meaning that new features and options will be coming on a regular basis as users find new ways for goMobi to promote their businesses. It also means goMobi is “future proof” as a platform.

If you’ve been waiting to build you mobile website, now’s the time to jump in. The control panel you use to build your mobile site is easy — and, dare I say, fun — to use. The site you create will look terrific, no matter what phone you’re using to access it; goMobi sites make every phone act like a smartphone with clean icons and text indicators … and all with no special effort on your part.

We have a raft of information on our new product Web site, and even a new Facebook page so you can give goMobi your own “Thumbs Up!”

Well, **is** the iPad a mobile device … ?

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

Hero4_20100127 Right after Apple's big iPad announcement on January 27, the thoughtful MobileTech blog asked, "Is the iPad a mobile device like any other mobile phone in terms of browsing?" … meaning, of course, is there still a need for mobile-optimized sites? 

Well, yes. (Did you expect me to say otherwise?)

No matter how sophisticated the device — iPad or otherwise — .mobi and mobile-optimized sites are about the mobile context, not about the device calling for the content. For those of you on an iPhone or an Android device or a Blackberry, you know that the best apps present information in a way that makes sense for how you use the input mechanisms (e.g., touchscreen vs. mouse & keyboard) and is relevant for you on the go (e.g., Target's mobile gift card and not Target's share price or corporate governance). That won't (and shouldn't) change if I'm on an iPod Touch, an iPhone or an iPad … or my low-end Sony Ericsson or old, but still Internet ready, Motorola Razr. Or if I have a device-specific app on my phone or if I'm looking at a mobile-optimized site.

Specific to the iPad, though, I think its reason for being is for Apple to own the digital book space the way it owns the digital music space. I doubt it's meant to be thought of as a mobile device, well not anymore so than a physical book is a mobile device. Sure you can bring it with you, but can you make a phone call or take a photo on it?

One of the more interesting thoughts I saw about the iPad was to position it as a micro-computer for senior citizens who might need email or a way to see photos of the grandkids, but not a whole lot more. In short, the exact opposite of an intentionally mobile device. 

What I think will be most interesting is to watch the evolution of the iPhone once we see how the iPad is received in the marketplace. I'm also very excited to see how it changes the idea of publishing. For many years, we've heard about interactive books. Now there's a platform that will likely have a large enough audience to make that idea a reality. Or with magazines, now they can affordably publish one-off articles rather than being bound (literally) to publishing heavy monthly volumes.

Of course, this is all speculation. We'll see in 2Q10 how the iPad is received once it's in users' hands.

Switch to our mobile site