Why is iOrtho+ Premium a WEB- BASED APP?

The concept of web applications dates back to the early days of the internet (1990’s).  The launch of the iPhone in 2007 was a significant milestone in app development.  The App Store was introduced in 2008 and grew rapidly.  Developers created apps for gaming, productivity, social networking, education, and many more tasks.  The advantage of Apple apps is they are optimized for iOS devices, potentially offering better performance than web-based apps. However, Apple’s strict App Store review guidelines and ecosystem put significant limitations on developers’ freedom.  Developers must adhere to Apple’s restrictions, which can limit creativity and flexibility.  Updates may be delayed due to the need for Apple’s approval.

Google launched the Android operating system in 2008 and a corresponding Google Play Store.  The Android ecosystem is known for its diversity, with a wide range of devices from various manufacturers running different versions of the operating system.  Android apps can integrate Google services like Maps, Gmail, and Google Drive.  However, this diversity presents both opportunities and challenges for developers, as they need to ensure compatibility across different devices and operating system versions. Thus, the user experience may vary between devices.  As a positive, the Google Play Store has fewer restrictions and a lower cost for app submissions compared to Apple’s App Store.  Nevertheless, Android apps may be more susceptible to malware and security vulnerabilities compared to iOS apps.

Web-based apps have cross-platform compatibility.  They can run on any device with a web browser.  So, there is no installation required.  Users can access them instantly without downloading or installing anything.  Developers can push updates instantly without needing app store approvals.  They can be designed to adhere to web accessibility standards, making them more accessible to users with disabilities.   On the downside, they require an internet connection to function and are not as easily discovered by users as those apps in an app store.

In addition to the above-mentioned parameters, there are financial ramifications to developers that are different across the platforms.  There are annual fees by Apple and Google to be a developer as well as remittance of a share of revenue for sales made through the App Stores.  Although the revenue share has recently been reduced, at one time it was 30% of the cost of the app.  On the contrary, web-based apps must pay for domain names and web-site hosting for their content but the fees per sale are limited to the payment processing system utilized (can be as pow as 4%-5%).

So, in summary, having started with an iOS app in the App Store (2010) and expanded to include an Android version in Google Play (2012), iOrtho+ Premium found these platforms restrictive and costly.  Costs were not just for the annual fees and revenue-share, but also for the development/coding time required to comply with the ongoing (and frequently changing) restrictions.  Migration to a Web-based App made sense to be able to immediately push out updates, enhance the user experience, and keep the cost down for subscribers.  iOrtho+ Premium remains one of the oldest (first released in 2010) and cost friendly orthopedic app available. iOrtho+ Premium began with only 85 clinical tests and 80 manual techniques.  As a result of frequent enhancement, it has grown to over 450 clinical tests and more than 120 manual techniques.  Yet, the cost has remained low.  For only $9.99/year or $1.99/month, a subscriber has full access to content and updates.  When compared to the competition who are 5-10 times higher, iOrtho+ Premium is a bargain. 

Throughout the history of app development, there has been a continuous evolution in tools, technologies, and best practices. Developers constantly adapt to new platforms, programming languages, and user expectations to create innovative and engaging applications.  Now that you know why iOrtho+ Premium opted for the web-based option, we hope you will visit https://iortho.xyz/  to subscribe.   If you have any questions and suggestions for tests or techniques, we would love to hear from you –  info@iortho.xyz