REAL Software considering REALBasic for iPhone

      One of the reasons why I believe iPhone has been a game-changing product for Apple and the handset makers in general is the amount of excitement it has generated from users and potential developers. I’ve been asked many times by friends and readers of this blog on the easiest way to get an application up and running on iPhone. The answer of course, has been to start with relatively simple HTML and JavaScript and to progressively proceed to more complicated server processed web applications using your preferred server side language. A few problems with this approach and common to all web applications, however, have been the need for web connectivity, slow performance, and the lack of access to operating system features that a native app usually enjoys.

     The upcoming Apple Software Development Kit ( SDK ) due to be released in early ‘08, however, promises to change all that. Writing applications that run natively on the iPhone OS should then be possible using the framework that Apple provides. But what if you didn’t have to mess with the iPhone application framework and Objective C language and could just write code using BASIC language? The obstacles for entry into the third party iPhone app development could be virtually removed resulting in thousands of individuals writing free or for pay software. Exciting, wouldn’t you say? Well, I’ve received word from Ivan A. Lopez of REAL Software Inc. Customer Service that REAL Software has a goal of developing a version of REALBasic for iPhone.

     Now I should mention that it may still be possible that Apple limits the iPhone SDK distribution only to select developers and/or reserves distribution of iPhone apps on iTunes to just those that are officially approved. Still, the potential for jail-broken native third party apps is too great to ignore.

     If you’d like to help convince REAL Software that REALBasic for iPhone makes a lot of sense, follow the link to email them and voice your support.

D.S.

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