Dwight Watt - Newspaper Article #241 3/5/2014


Question: What is an App?

Answer:

Apps are smaller programs that typically run on mobile devices like smart phones and notebook computers. App is a short version of the word application which is what full size programs in computers are called, so the name app is appropriate since they are smaller applications

Apps have been developed to let you do all types of things with your mobile devices. There are lots of apps available. They may do GPS, give you different type recipes, calculate your miles per gallon for your car each purchase of gas, allow you to show at sites, give you recommendations on what is available or cheapest place, play games, etc. There are apps available to follow news sources or just news on a specific subject like NASCAR. The possibilities of apps are unlimited.

Now apps are also used on other type computer devices. Windows 8 was designed to work with apps and that is a major reason for the Metro interface on it as your apps work directly on it.

You can get apps at lots of places. The different companies and banks that have developed apps to make it easier to use their services will often have ways to get their apps from them. Microsoft makes apps for their operating systems available at the Windows Store and Apple has their apps available at the App store. Both of these are online. In those two cases Microsoft and Apple have done some testing to see if the apps work ok on their system. There are other locations for apps for the Android and other systems.

Some apps are fee and others cost. Prices vary a lot.

There are programs you can download to help you develop apps for an operating system and some people have make money writing apps.

Apps are out there to make it easier to use your mobile devices and to give you lots of other possibilities to do with your devices.