What is the difference between an iPhone web app and an iPhone app?

Question

I ask this because I am on the verge of diving into iPhone development and I have been intently following the iPhone related questions here.

This question: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/566265/retrieving-current-local-time-on-iphone

has a comment which asks "are you creating iphone web app or iphone app" and my question is, is there a difference and if so - what is that difference.

If the "web app" is simply a matter of CSS and is more or less a traditional web app with mobile in mind, then do you need a Mac to develop those apps? Or can it be developed on any platform and accessed via Safari instead.

Answer 1

A web app is accessed via Safari and requires no install. You are just going to a website that has a special stylesheet for the iPhone. A native app runs code on the device and is installable through the app store. You have access to all the UI elements the iPhone uses and can do things like 3D which are impossible in Mobile Safari. You need a mac to make a native app, but can make web apps with any platform of your choosing.

Answer 2

There are sorta things inbetween. For example, you could use phonegap to create an html, css, js based iphone app that is downloadable from the app store. And your app could even use some of the iphone hardware cmds from the javascript.