Opinionated comments on mobile phone industry news

SearchMobileComputing has a series on mobile application platforms, and this time it's about Java ME.

I agree with the core points highlighted here, and that incompatibilities between phones is the biggest issue with Java ME, but it's not a showstopper, as basic MIDP 1 applications will run unchanged on most phones, so I'm more positive than the people speaking through this article.

Most corporate applications are forms-based, hence basic MIDP 1 is enough for many corporate client/server. By deploying MIDP 1 Canvas it's still possible to provide reasonably looking graphics for e.g. diagrams and such. HTTP is part of MIDP 1, so basic service communication is supported as well. With J2ME Polish it's also possible to make forms look really good without sacrificing compatibility. I noted BlueTrail (see the comments) uses J2ME Polish.

Choosing phones based on preferred platform is often tricky and limiting as that might require swapping all phones a company is currently using. This is clearly the case when going for applications that require e.g. Windows Mobile. Java ME doesn't have that problem. Even worse if different corporate services require different application platforms. Then you are really in trouble.

I've previously posted entries about other forms of incompatibilities, like specification (mis)interpretations and outright bugs, due to the several providers of Java ME implementations.

Again, to be sure a Java ME application will run on a certain phone you therefor need to actually test on that phone. You can't just assume it will run. This is a big issue with Java ME (and also Linux), and much less a problem with Symbian OS and Windows Mobile.

Where it can get outright hairy is when you need to access the camera, PIM database, file system etc of the phone. Then differences between phones really show. Functionality differences should be expected of course, as different phones have different base functionality and features like PIM and file access are relatively new. Best case you can test for this in your application, provided that the application can still work without the lacking functionality.

That Java ME is in its "own world" on the phone can also cause issues with e.g. cross-application functionality, but that also (intentionally) provides protection from applications gone bad.

Quote: mobile Java is already available on many consumer cell phones. It has yet to hit its mark with smartphones and PDAs
That's not true, technically speaking. Java ME is available on pretty much all newer smartphones as well. It might not be used for other than games though, but that's more an issue of perception.

The article under-emphasizes Java ME's complete dominance in mainstream phones, and it seems the industry has just started realizing this is a fact.

Quote: "Given the prevalence of BlackBerrys, I don't think Java is going to dry up and blow away,"
This is a logical somersault: There are 1B mainstream phones with Java ME. That's the driver! Relatively speaking BlackBerry's don't exist, except in the hands of managers. Implying that it's mainly managers that need access to corporate services is of course nonsense. That's repetition of the notion that PCs were mainly for managers etc. They are in the minority, and all employees need access to corporate email, sales people need to get access to customer info, consultants need to get access to time reporting, etc.

Of course, you don't need to download an application to the phone. Many corporate services can be provided via a simple browser interface, but if you need a high comfort level on the interaction, a good look-n-feel, dynamic graphics, phone function interaction etc, Java ME is a darn good choice for mobile enterprise applications.

Mobile platforms: J2ME -- looking for its place in the enterprise