Oh I hate to be asking this :- Soulkiss look away :- Apple IPad

[timwilky]

OK I have available a small team of very experienced developers with decades of skills in Java, C, C# etc.

Despite the best efforts of the IT departments within the company, some businesses are buying iPads on expenses. Senior managers now want business applications developing and I have been asked to get involved.

I meet with one of the businesses next week and would hope to start specifying a requirement.

So If I was to take on iPad development, what tools/training are required. As we do not allow other than windows/linux/Solaris/AIX I have never even touched an apple device. We are predominately business solutions analysts. This in the recent years has been towards web based applications, document/information management etc. Oracle Apex, PHP, Java servlets, server pages etc.

Where we have written applications as such, they tend to be targeted at windows usually c# or java. but we have been known to take over externally developed vb.Net. In the linux world we normally develop engineering applications in c and clever apps in Java.

So what do we need to put in place without the management realising we are breaking the rules? I have done a quick google and it would appear there is not an officially sanctioned windows based iPad development environment. Buying a mac would be impossible, unless nodded through on expenses. what training is there out there? etc.

[SoulKiss]

OK I have available a small team of very experienced developers with decades of skills in Java, C, C# etc.

Despite the best efforts of the IT departments within the company, some businesses are buying iPads on expenses. Senior managers now want business applications developing and I have been asked to get involved.

I meet with one of the businesses next week and would hope to start specifying a requirement.

So If I was to take on iPad development, what tools/training are required. As we do not allow other than windows/linux/Solaris/AIX I have never even touched an apple device. We are predominately business solutions analysts. This in the recent years has been towards web based applications, document/information management etc. Oracle Apex, PHP, Java servlets, server pages etc.

Where we have written applications as such, they tend to be targeted at windows usually c# or java. but we have been known to take over externally developed vb.Net. In the linux world we normally develop engineering applications in c and clever apps in Java.

So what do we need to put in place without the management realising we are breaking the rules? I have done a quick google and it would appear there is not an officially sanctioned windows based iPad development environment. Buying a mac would be impossible, unless nodded through on expenses. what training is there out there? etc.

You called :)

Your understanding of this situation seems to be the same as mine and is borne out by this http://developer.anscamobile.com/content/building-devices-iphoneipad

The big problem I had seen was getting the App out there to your users, but it seems that if set them up as your Dev team you can roll it out to 100 people.

I would take these hard facts, a bit more research and go to the bosses and tell them that the iPad is not really suitable.

Then sell them on the Transformer Prime and develop on that and just dole out the APK files.

[fizzwheel]

Tim, I dont know if this is suitable

http://www.good.com/iphone/

But IIRC it allows you you wrap up your app inside a virtualisation layer and then deploy that to the I-device, you dont need to install anything on the device, and no data is stored on it and the traffic is encrypted.

IIRC theres lots of options to be able to run conventional apps on an ipad in a similar way, that way you can develop what you like and not be limited by the IOS on the device itself.

Your existing applications might just work in that way and require no development time to get them to work either... might be another way to solve your problem.

Theres also an IPAD client for Vmware view, so again stick your app onto VM instance and then get around it that way.

Apologies if I have misunderstood your requirements... HTH in some way.

[andrewsmith]

Tim, I dont know if this is suitable

http://www.good.com/iphone/

But IIRC it allows you you wrap up your app inside a virtualisation layer and then deploy that to the I-device, you dont need to install anything on the device, and no data is stored on it and the traffic is encrypted.

IIRC theres lots of options to be able to run conventional apps on an ipad in a similar way, that way you can develop what you like and not be limited by the IOS on the device itself.

Your existing applications might just work in that way and require no development time to get them to work either... might be another way to solve your problem.

Theres also an IPAD client for Vmware view, so again stick your app onto VM instance and then get around it that way.

Apologies if I have misunderstood your requirements... HTH in some way.

If I've understood this the same way as Fizz, VM ware would be an option

or if a Remote solution would work, couple be worth looking at:
http://www.parallels.com/uk/products/mobile/

[timwilky]

I am limited in what I can say in a public forum. The stuff they need is new to the business and part of their improvement programmes and really suits tablet type deployment in a harsh environment where network connectivity is near on impossible without plugging into a length of fibre optic cable.

Once back at the office they would look to synchronise data input with back end applications. Think of it a digital checklists, timestamps for operations, who did/when.

Operation and maintenance procedures to hand, direct input of instrument calibration etc. Laptops do not stand up well for this sort of task, too big/clumsy and vulnerable to electrical interference etc.

[andrewsmith]

Tim would a off the shelf Motorola windows PDA not do the trick?

I don't think an Ipad would be suitable, the windows based acer tablets may do the job better. I know what type of systems your on about as BMS sounds like it runs similar (back to a PC timestamps logged etc...)

[fizzwheel]

Laptops do not stand up well for this sort of task, too big/clumsy and vulnerable to electrical interference etc.

I dont know if an IPAD would cope with that sort of environment either, they arent IMHO exactly robust. You'd need to think about some sort of jacket / armour for it, which I know you can get, but its extra cost on top of the ipad itself.

The other trouble with an ipad, its a high status gadget, We've talked about deploying them and I'm concerned about the likely hood of it going walkies, if you get my meaning.

Some of the motorola devices are meant for the sort of environment you are running in and run wireless and are made to take a beating.

Edit - beaten to it !

[SoulKiss]

What about these?

http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/10/motorola-unveils-rugged-et1-android-tablet-for-enterprise-types/

[kaivalagi]

What about these?

http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/10/motorola-unveils-rugged-et1-android-tablet-for-enterprise-types/

Good option, Tim's java devs could get busy with the Android framework, it is Java based, although the underlying methodologies behind a lot of the functionality are somewhat different to the norm. I would expect the devs would need some research time / training to get up to speed (if not versed in Android already).

I would be hesitant with iPad based development, although it's not impossible for any C devs...it does however involve understanding objective c / cocoa frameworks which are not typical of standard C development...I'd say there is a bigger gap between c and objective c than with java to android...

In all honesty I think your senior management types need to get this silly notion out of their heads that an ipad can provide a platform for the sort of thing you are talking about...the best opinion in my honest option would be to go with a robust tablet that can run standard windows and then developing a functionally rich solution using C# / .net frameworks. You'll get to an end result quicker and there is better supporting documentation and on-tap application blocks to get you there too.

Just my 2 pence, hope it helps

[timwilky]

Problem is iPad has been dictated by my customer. They have started issuing them to staff. Now they want the killer business apps

[SoulKiss]

Problem is iPad has been dictated by my customer. They have started issuing them to staff. Now they want the killer business apps

Bill them for the Macbooks, Dev Licenses and then getting it through the Apple iStore so that you can install it on their devices.

Its the only way :)

Not your fault that their IT people didn't do their job correctly before ordering useless toys.

[kaivalagi]

Sounds like your C devs need to get busy learning objective C and the cocoa framework then Tim :)

Being C devs I bet they have the ability, it's more a question of whether they have the inclination to learn something so limited in it's ability and platform usage...

I would seriously consider looking at the risk of development and support costs outweighing the cost of writing off the initial expenditure on hardware and going a better route...

Good luck with it all

<rant>
I for one am sick of high level execs making stupid decisions and spending serious cash on things they know nothing about when there should first be a feasibility study involving professional guidance and input from the guys on the ground who will need to development for it and support it. The current project I am tech lead for has me designing around some piece of cr4p multi-tenanted system which was bought for a 6 figure sum before being reviewed by people in the know....
</rant>

[Fallout]

That must really suck. So you have a bunch of java developers, no doubt using Eclipse, and it would take them about 1 hour to get the Android SDK installed and them learning the ropes. Alternatively, you have to jump through all those apple hoops, getting apple hardware, learning their objective c and all that rubbish.

It makes ZERO sense to make business apps on an iPad. Android is easier to develop on, far more versatile, modifiable and more portable, while the hardware can be more powerful if you buy top end tablets, or vastly cheaper. This means any bespoke business apps you develop can be reused and tweaked to target other clients who perhaps have smaller budgets.

I would be ****ed right off if I were you. But if you look on the bright side, people who know nothing about this subject at all will hear "iPad" and go "COOOOL!" and then put on their over priced designer clothes and go get a latte from Starbucks in their Toyota Prius. ;)