[Robert Levy]

http://www.mobilewizardry.com/multi-platform/

"MobileWizardry had announced SHARK, a new development kit primarily focused on building applications for handheld computing. It allows any programmer to build and target a number of handheld devices and platforms with a single code base." Currently supported platforms are Pocket PC, Palm OS, Symbian Series 60, Windows, and Smartphone 2002."

"The kit solely based on abstraction, with the creation of new API's specifically optimized for handheld computing; allows the development of a single source code base to be easily and quickly recompiled/distributed on multiple platforms at the same time."

"SHARK provides the basic input/output functionalities within the multi-platform environment - specifically this is event management, system input/output (keys, stylus, file, comms), graphics primitive layer and a utility layer for memory management; a BIOS environment."

Sounds interesting but I'm always sceptical of these "one size fits all" development systems. It becomes particularly tricky when you start thinking about user interfaces. It seems to me like they are promising something which just isn't possible... how can an application be equally usable on a Pocket PC and a Smartphone which have dramatically different screen sizes and forms of input? I have trouble imagining a solution that doesn't involve creating a new UI layer for each platform. Of course, if anyone has tried this out (or another system with similar promises) I'd be interested in hearing about your experiences.

[Robert Levy]

http://www.mobilewizardry.com/multi-platform/

"MobileWizardry had announced SHARK, a new development kit primarily focused on building applications for handheld computing. It allows any programmer to build and target a number of handheld devices and platforms with a single code base." Currently supported platforms are Pocket PC, Palm OS, Symbian Series 60, Windows, and Smartphone 2002."

"The kit solely based on abstraction, with the creation of new API's specifically optimized for handheld computing; allows the development of a single source code base to be easily and quickly recompiled/distributed on multiple platforms at the same time."

"SHARK provides the basic input/output functionalities within the multi-platform environment - specifically this is event management, system input/output (keys, stylus, file, comms), graphics primitive layer and a utility layer for memory management; a BIOS environment."

Sounds interesting but I'm always sceptical of these "one size fits all" development systems. It becomes particularly tricky when you start thinking about user interfaces. It seems to me like they are promising something which just isn't possible... how can an application be equally usable on a Pocket PC and a Smartphone which have dramatically different screen sizes and forms of input? I have trouble imagining a solution that doesn't involve creating a new UI layer for each platform. Of course, if anyone has tried this out (or another system with similar promises) I'd be interested in hearing about your experiences.

[cesarfong]

and what about the price? any idea?

César

[Robert Levy]

Doesn't seem to say, but there is an email address on that page that you can write to for more info

[OrangeWhip]

OK, this sounds like a nightmare of a development platform. I see one of two things happening:

1. You need to make a separate "layout" for each OS target.
2. They all look the same.

#2 is more likely. Blech. Sounds like the days when Java applets were all the rage. You know, write once... Double blech. I feel that each OS has its own advantages. The main being the user interfaces. On a Palm, I want Palm look-and-feel. Same goes with Pocket PC, Smartphone, etc.

Sounds interesting but I'll pass.

[gohtor]

it does look promising. but I'd probably pass on using this tool as well. I'm very comfortable with Visual Studio.

I'd like to know who here can be my beta testers for a smartphone/pocketpc game. I currently do not own a smartphone and the emulator may not accurately represent the speed of the actual smartphones out right now.

drop me a personal email with your smartphone model. I should have a working demo in about 1 month's time.

thanks!
Robert Huie