# full web site/mobile web site/mobile app **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 3, 2011, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-web-site-mobile-web-site-mobile-app/587730 "2011-07-03T16:53:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-web-site-mobile-web-site-mobile-app/587730/1 "2011-07-03T16:53:49Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-web-site-mobile-web-site-mobile-app/587730/2 "2011-07-03T16:59:04Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-web-site-mobile-web-site-mobile-app/587730/3 "2011-07-03T17:16:06Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > 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 ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-web-site-mobile-web-site-mobile-app/587730/4 "2011-07-03T18:43:24Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > The mobile sites use less bandwidth and is designed to display properly on a mobile device screen. Fewer graphics, for instance. 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. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-web-site-mobile-web-site-mobile-app/587730/5 "2011-07-03T18:56:14Z")
A couple of ways: - 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. - Replace “www” with “m” or “mobile” in the URL of a site you’re visiting. [An example](http://m.cnn.com/). 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](http://m.nytimes.com/). 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. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/full-web-site-mobile-web-site-mobile-app/587730/6 "2011-07-03T22:17:05Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > The mobile sites use less bandwidth and is designed to display properly on a mobile device screen. Fewer graphics, for instance. 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.