What is the benefit of a mobile web site vs full web site? Is it strictly easier navigation, or does it use leas bandwidth? How about the mobile app version of a web site?
The mobile sites use less bandwidth and is designed to display properly on a mobile device screen. Fewer graphics, for instance.
A mobile app version is different in appearance from the Internet website and gives features (e.g., an automatic RSS feed) and a different layout from using the other two.
Thanks, Chuck
Is there a simple way to access a mobile site from my pc? All the extraneous graphic and such really annoy me. Besides, I’d rather use less bandwidth in general.
A couple of ways:
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Install a plugin that changes the user agent of your browser. Properly configured, it will trick a Web site into thinking you’re using a mobile browser (e.g. Safari for iPhone) instead of Firefox, Chrome or whatever.
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Replace “www” with “m” or “mobile” in the URL of a site you’re visiting. An example. That doesn’t always work, though; sometimes if the server detects you’re using a regular browser, you might be bounced back to the full version. Also, try using “.mobi” instead of “.com”. With the increasing prevalence of mobile templates and apps, though, the .mobi top-level domain is falling from favor.
Not all sites have mobile templates.
I’ve seen mobile sites that actually used more graphics. I think the defining difference is larger text for smaller screens, a simpler interface with buttons that can be hit with big fingers on a small touch screen, and fewer/simpler background graphics and menu bars.