Re: Network Information API

On Tuesday, December 10, 2013 at 4:05 AM, Josh Soref wrote:

>  
> I¹m not sure how people are defining ³Bandwidth². Let¹s say there are 5
> likely links (with any typical person only using 4 / 5 - a child might
> have two homes, but won¹t have WiMax):
>  
> WiFi - Corporate / School (Š)
> WiFi - Home Internet (Verizon FiOS)
> WiFi - Home Internet (Comcast Cable)
> WiFi - Starbucks (AT&T)
> WiFi - WiMax (Clear/Sprint)
>  
> * Corporate isn¹t particularly bandwidth limited, however it does block
> certain services (including services for which the user has applications)
> ‹ this creates amusing network topography issues.
> * Cable will probably have a bandwidth cap past which it will cost the
> user perhaps $1/gb.
> * FiOS might not have a cap (perhaps it didn¹t in 2006)
> * Starbucks probably has a different max speed than Cable / FiOS
> * WiMax Š you might be paying $50/gb


This is why allowing applications and OSs to let the user determine what to do over which connection (cellular or wifi) deals with the cases above (in the above case, just turn off your Wifi or only allow cellular in some cases). In most cases and for most apps (as what we can see from just looking at any random set of applications) is that most of the time developers and users don’t mind/care (the content downloaded is reasonable - like when one uses Flipboard or BBC news). It’s only in very particular cases (mostly dealing with large content) that one cares about this - and if the user is inclined enough, the developer can provide sensible and changeable defaults - or the OS provides sensible ways to allow control over d/ling over cellular and/or WIFI - again, as is the case with iOS.    

Anything beyond the above is just over complicating and over-engineering everything - at least, that’s what I’m seeing when I’m looking at iOS and iOS-based apps (nice, simple options that make sense! - and that only deal with “wifi” or “cellular” - no other complexity like network type or network topologies etc.). I’d be surprised if we didn’t find the same in other OSs, but we are still waiting for people to come forward with actual example applications from Android, and other OSs, etc.   
  

--  
Marcos Caceres

Received on Wednesday, 11 December 2013 04:55:25 UTC