US vendor Sencha has launched version 1.0 of its Sencha Touch application framework that enables developers to create web-based applications that work across a number of mobile platforms. Sencha Touch, which is designed to work with iOS and Android, has been downloaded over 160,000 times since it began shipping in beta in June. To capitalise on the product’s popularity, the company is dropping its US$99 licence fee and offering a refund to those developers who have already paid for it. Instead, Sencha hopes to instead encourage payment for tools and support services.

There is an ongoing debate about the relative merits of web-based applications against those native applications developed for a specific platform. Many developers argue native apps are preferable for consumer-oriented products such as games where there is a high value on performance. In fact four out of five developers prefer native to mobile web apps, according to a survey conducted last month by IDC and developer tools company Appcelerator. But web-based apps are thought to be gaining ground among enterprises where there is an emphasis on controlling support costs. Web apps are also popular among developers when a new handset first comes on the market. Aware of this debate, Sencha promises web apps that “look and feel native” on iPhone and Android-based handsets.  It has been adding to Sencha Touch since the summer. The company has added “HTML5 forms support, web-based pickers, and a complete new MVC package”, as well as doing optimization work on the product to implement list scrolling on Android. Finally, the company has also just awarded prizes in a contest for the best app developed using Sencha Touch. First prize went to DailyCrossword, developed by Cahit Gürgüc, second place to Mike Hardaker’s TravelMate mobile web app, and the third prize went to Nick Poulden and his e-Resistible mobile web app.