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devices are based on the use of apps, technology writer Brian
X. Chen has noted that Apple was the pioneer in making all the
pieces (apps, developers, devices, consumers) work together:
Everything about the iPhone and the App Store was de-
signed to fit an always-on, mobile lifestyle. So Apple did not
invent something brand new out of necessity and thereby
lift off a revolution. After all, so much of what apps can do
has been doable for years. Instead, Apple’s [way of operat-
ing] has traditionally been to study an existing technology
and determine how it can be done better.
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As industry analyst Mark Mulligan has commented, “Apps
have transformed consumers’ expectations of what digital experi-
ences should be, and not just on connected devices.” As a result,
Mulligan believes that “apps have created a renaissance in the
consumer software market.”
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Generally speaking, apps are easier
to create than traditional programs. Some apps simply present ex-
isting websites in a way that is better suited to small devices, such
as reformatting a newspaper to make it more readable on a tab-
let. However, mobile operating systems provide many resources
that programmers can hook into when creating software, includ-
ing hardware such as the built-in camera and microphone or the
GPS device that reports the user’s location. Meanwhile numerous
services such as Google Maps provide a wealth of additional data
that can be tapped by app developers to create new features and
services. For example, an “eating out” app might take restaurant
reviews from the popular Yelp review site, access a Google map of
the user’s neighborhood, and show which highly rated restaurants
are within easy walking or driving distance.
Bridging the Technological Gap
Even though mobile devices are easier to use than traditional
computers, and their features and apps are often attractive, there
havebeendifferences inhowrapidly different groups of peoplehave
been able to take advantage of them. This poses a social challenge
