Apps, or to give them their full name, software applications, are everywhere these days. They’ve become so familiar that the word app is part of everyday language, and it’s almost impossible to think of anything for which there isn’t an app of some kind. The term is applied to pretty much any kind of software now, although it’s correctly used to define a piece of software that’s an add-on rather than a complete software program.

Apps are normally downloaded from the internet via web pages or online stores such as Google Play and Apple’s App Store, and there are a great many free ones as well as all the ones you have to pay for. Not all of them are any good though, and some may be a waste of money and memory, or even malicious in certain cases. It pays to be selective when you choose a new app to make sure you’ve got something safe and effective that fulfills your needs.

How do apps work?

All the functions of your PC, tablet, or smartphone are controlled by the PCB (printed circuit board) technology inside the device. PCBs are designed to provide a reliable, responsive user experience, and creating them is a highly specialized skill. Electronics engineers undergo extensive training before they can start designing their own circuits, as the process has to be flawless if the device is to work correctly. Using modern PCB design tools such as Altium CircuitStudio makes a considerable difference to how well electronic devices function, and therefore how well your apps work when you download them.

Apps for websites

Many of the apps available are special versions of a parent site designed to be easier to use on a mobile device. For instance, a store may have its own fully functioning website, but this is likely to have been optimized for use on a full-size screen, making it hard to use on a smartphone. An app takes the key features of the website and distills them into a form that makes it easier to read and interact with the website using a smartphone.

Many examples of these kinds of apps are well-designed and provide an effective alternative to struggling with a full-size website on a small screen. However, in some cases the app is poorly designed, making it difficult and frustrating to find the information you need or place an order. It’s always worth trying these shopping apps and similar applications, but if you don’t get on with an app, there’s nothing to stop your going back to the main site.

How do you choose the right app from the selection available? If it’s free, you could always download it, try it, and then delete it if you don’t like it. That option can be time-consuming though, and of course, it’s not really viable if you have to choose between apps that need to be paid for. Established apps have reviews from users, and these are a good place to check for information, or you could do a search online to see what other people have said about the app. Just make sure you only ever download apps from secure, verifiable sources, and if you don’t use an app, delete it so it doesn’t take up room on your device.