THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DEVELOPING A PROGRAM FOR A PC AND MOBILE PHONE APP

 

The success of mobile programming means that there are many developers who would like to make the leap from being a software developer for desktop/tablet applications to being a developer for mobile phone applications. The differences however are in:

1.    Compatibility
For a mobile phone app to be a success it must be compatible with many different operating systems and given the wide variety, a mobile programmer has to ensure that their application is operable on all otherwise they miss out on a significant portion of the market share. The most popular operating systems are Android from Google, iOS from Apple, Blackberry 10, Symbian from Nokia and Windows Phone. As an independent programmer one must make their application compatible with all these OS and more. For a PC developer, compatibility is almost never an issue due to the complexity level of PC operating systems. Most open source software is easily compatible with all operating systems however once a developer’s applications can operate on Windows and OS X by Mac they can safely distribute their work.

2.    Network consistency
When making a computer application the developer can safely assume that there is constant network connectivity and at times large downloads of information can be facilitated. When developing a mobile application however one must be aware that there will be constant network fluctuation even if the user is in an area with a strong network. With mobile applications particularly in Africa the developer must always be aware that downloading content costs money and not all users of the app might be high spenders and so when developing the app must limit the content that requires downloading. Mobile applications are also used when one is travelling in which case the network will not be consistent.

3.    Customization
Mobile phones are generally private items and therefore the applications developed for it are assumed to be used by a single individual. Mobile applications therefore have a high level of customization and personalization as the assumption is that no one else will access the application on a daily basis. PC applications however must assume that the computer is for the office and even if for home use many people will access it for this reason most PC applications have a log in prompt as the first step to starting operation unlike with mobile applications.

Domain Registration Kenya

Types of Domain Names

 

We have very many types of domain names, while .com domains make up for 46.5% of all global registered domain names, it still leaves plenty of room for other domain name types like .org and .net. Overall, the most common types of domain names include:

TLD: Top Level Domains
A top level domain is exactly what it sounds like: a type of domain name which is at the top level of the internet’s domain name system. There are over a thousand TLDs available but the most common include .com, .org, .net, and .edu.

The official list of TLDs is maintained by an organization called the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) and can be viewed here. IANA notes that the list of TLDs also includes ccTLDs and gTLDs, which we’ll talk about next.

ccTLD: Country Code Top Level Domains
ccTLDs use just two letters and are based upon international country codes, such as .ke for Kenya and .jp for Japan. They’re often used by companies that are building dedicated sites for specific regions and can be a good way of signaling to users that they’ve arrived at the right place.

gTLD: Generic Top Level Domain
A gTLD is essentially a top-level domain that doesn’t rely on a country code. Many gTLDs are intended for a specific use-case, such as .edu which is aimed at educational institutions. That said, you don’t have to meet any specific criteria to register a gTLD, which is why a .com domain might not necessarily be used for commercial purposes.

Other examples of gTLDs include .mil (military), .gov (government), .org (for non-profits and organizations), and .net, which was originally designed for internet service providers (ISPs) but is now used more widely.

Other Domain Name Types
While the above-mentioned domain name categories are the most frequent, there are other variations that you can run into.

Second-Level Domains
You’ve probably seen these domain names before. We’re talking about a domain that sits directly below a top-level domain name. We’re not going to get too technical here because it’s easier to show with examples, particularly when it comes to country codes.

For example, Kenya companies occasionally use .co.ke instead of .com, and it’s a perfect example of a second-level domain. Another second-level domain is .go.ke, which is often used by governmental institutions, and .ac.ke, which is used by academic institutions and universities.

Subdomains
Subdomains are useful because they don’t require webmasters to purchase an additional domain name to create divisions within their site. Instead, they’re able to create a subdomain that effectively points to a specific directory on the server. This can be super useful for campaign sites, micro sites and other types of web content that should be kept separate from the main site.

For example, Facebook uses developers.facebook.com to provide specific information for web and app developers who want to use the Facebook API. Another great example is support.google.com

How Do Domain Names Work?

 A domain name works by acting as a link or alternative name to the server that hosts your website.

Without a domain name, anyone who wanted to visit your website would have to enter the full IP address whichs is usually 12 to 15 digit number. But the problem is that an IP address is difficult for people to memorize or to include on advertising materials.
For example, www.softlinkoptions.co.ke is our domain name. Let’s say it points to the IP address 162.241.159.80.70. The IP address points to a server, but it doesn’t lead to the website if visitors try to use it. That’s because for an IP address to lead a website, the remote server needs to be using port 80 with a default page (i.e. index.html) stored in its public accessible directory.

As you can see, messing around with server defaults and IP addresses can be both confusing and time-consuming. That’s why the vast majority of website owners opt to utilize a service like Softlink Options which offers domain name registration services with annual web hosting packages.

Domain names can also use redirects, which essentially allow you to specify that if people visit your domain, they’re automatically forwarded to another. This can be useful for campaigns and microsites or for forwarding people to dedicated landing pages on your main site. 

LIST OF DOMAIN EXTENSIONS

Domain extensions are categorized into various categories depending on location, type of business and generic model.Domain extensions which are categorized based on location usually depend on the country location e.g. .ke is a domain which targets the Kenyan market while .ug is a domain used by Uganda citizens &businesses targeting Uganda.

List of Domain Extensions:

.ke, .com, .cc, .us, .army, .org, .music, .co.ke, .or.ke, .edu, .church, .mobi, .me, info, .go.ke, .biz, .net, .news, .wine, .club, .apartments, .app, .army, .associates

The .ke domain is divided into various domain levels. The domain levels can be used for different functions. They include:

.me.ke – for Personal Names

.or.ke –  for Non-Governmental Organisations

.co.ke – for Companies

.ne.ke – for Network Devices

.ac.ke – for Institutions of Higher Education (Requires supporting documents)

.sc.ke – for Secondary and Primary schools (Requires supporting documents)

.go.ke – for Goverment entities (Requires supporting documents)

.info.ke – for Information

.mobi.ke – for Mobile content

Some .ke Domain levels requires Supporting Documents inorder to be registered

.go.ke

This domain requires supporting documents from the Department of Government IT Services (GITS) at the Ministry of Finance. GITS should give an Authority Letter to show that the Entity is a valid Government institution or Agency and authorized to register the domain name

.sc.ke

Softlink Options will require a copy of the Certificate of Registration from the Ministry of Education. The document MUST also bear the name of the Entity. The document should classify the Entity as a Kindergaten, Primary or Secondary School.

All domains that require supporting documents will generate a ticket that will only be closed by the KENIC Registry Services once the Supporting Documents have been received. Only when the Ticket is closed will the domain be published.

.ac.ke

Softlink Options will require either a copy of the Certificate of Registration from the relevant Ministry, a copy of the College Charter or a copy of the Act of Parliament that was passed to establish the Institute. The documents MUST bear the name of the Entity. The document should classify the Entity as a Tertiary Institution: Polytechnic, Technical Institute, College or University.

Check various domain extensions offerred by Softlink Options Ltd.