Mobile App or Mobile Website?

[MobileDesigner]

Which do you prefer?
mobile apps or mobile websites?
When would you use an mobile app and when would you use a mobile website?

[Ulysses]

Mobile websites for me!
Mobile websites cover all web enabled mobile phones
Low build cost
No need to download updates

Mobile app not for me!
A new app has to be built for each different platform/browser
High build cost
Need to download updates

[Dale Hubbard]

As a consumer I'd prefer an app, as a developer I'd sooner develop a mobile site.

[Ulysses]

As a consumer I'd prefer an app, as a developer I'd sooner develop a mobile site.

I understand what your saying but I refer the 'mobile web/site' to potential customers as a web/mobile app. They understand this terminology. For some unknown reason they have trouble understanding the term 'mobile web/site'

[ngconcepts]

Definitely mobile web site for the same reasons Ulysses mentions. In addition, with HTML5, more and more features of the phone itself can be utilized. Eventually, you wont really see a big difference between an app and mobile site.

[MobileDesigner]

As we see recently after searching for information via mobile browser, we are redirected to a splash screen persuading us to download the app... but what if we only needed the information - not the app? dont you think that this is going too far for corporations to push us in downloading their app?

[stewie]

I like em both... depending on what it is.... if the app is done right I would lead that way.