What is the first thing you think of when you hear App?
Last weekend the assignment was to learn something new about Apps. Here is what I learned.
The first thing I think about when I hear App is a mobile application, but application software is any ‘computer program designed to perform a group of coordinated functions’. For example these include a word processor, photo editor, a console game, and this web browser you are using, just to name a few.
Most likely the cause of the term App being synonymous with a mobile application is Apple’s creation of their App Store, which was released in July, 2008. A few years later in 2010 the American Dialect Society listed App as the word of the year.
In 2011 Amazon created their own ‘appstore’ for use on the Android mobile operating system. Shortly after Apple sued Amazon, alleging trademark violations and false advertising. Amazon countered saying that the term ‘app store’ was so generic that it would not confuse customers. Apple eventually dropped the lawsuit. They added that with over 900,000 (at the time) apps and 50 million downloads people knew where to get ‘their favorite apps’.
As of March, 2017 there are 2.8 million apps on Google Play and 2.2 million apps on Apple’s App Store. In 2015 the global mobile app market generated 69.8 billion U.S. dollars in revenue, and by 2020 it is estimated to rise to 188.9 billion U.S. dollars. So it is safe to say that mobile applications are here to stay.
In 2016 the top 5 most popular free apps on Apple’s app store were Snapchat, Messenger, Pokemon GO, Instagram, and Facebook. That puts 3 out 5 of the top 5 apps being owned by Facebook, Inc.
If you want the Saylor Academy App experience you can download the Moodle App. Read this blog to learn more.
Some of the most popular apps on all mobile operating systems involve communication. This brings us to this week’s Weekend Assignment.
Your task, should you choose to accept it, is to learn something new around the theme of communication.
Potential avenues to explore:
- Language
- Telecommunication
- Public Speaking
- Emojis?
Share what you learn with us on Twitter by tagging us and using #SaylorAssignment or start the conversation on Discourse.
Bonus Fact: The Pony Express operated for 19 months and delivered around 35,000 letters. #FridayFact | https://t.co/DKzAVc26Ga pic.twitter.com/c0vI4RGXrS
— Saylor Academy (@saylordotorg) July 21, 2017
If you want to learn more about Mobile Applications and Computer Science we have 20 courses that might interest you.