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Ask HN: Has all interesting desktop software already been written?

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Re: Ask HN: Has all interesting desktop software already been written?

#101

Post by khedoros »

gaze wrote: post #70

I don't really understand why people are writing off the desktop in general. For engineering and design and lab software nobody wants tablets. I guess this is all niche but it's a big niche. Do I really want my next finite element analysis package or pattern design software or whatever running on a tablet? Maybe if the tablet is the size of my table or at least as big as all my monitors put together. This category of…

I took the other option to be web-based services. There are a lot of developers putting forward the narrative that almost everything that could be done as a traditional on-device application would be at least as well suited to being built as a web app, often basically skipping right over mobile.

Re: Ask HN: Has all interesting desktop software already been written?

#102

Post by eb0la »

Spooky23 wrote: post #71
gaze wrote: post #70

I don't really understand why people are writing off the desktop in general. For engineering and design and lab software nobody wants tablets. I guess this is all niche but it's a big niche. Do I really want my next finite element analysis package or pattern design software or whatever running on a tablet? Maybe if the tablet is the size of my table or at least as big as all my monitors put together. This category of…

I work in a large enterprise. Total workforce of 150,000 computer users. 7% smartphone/tablet penetration rate. Some PCs are going to be displaced by server based solutions like VDI, but there has literally been almost no substantial displacement of PC apps. It's a decade away at least IMO. The "death" of the PC is exaggerated. I think it's become a boring, stable market. If anything, the browser computer (i.e. Chrom…

I agree with that. The Pc is not the default choice when you want technology, but you need one to produce content quickly/with good productivity.

The problem with PCs is replacement times have increased and margins went down.

Re: Ask HN: Has all interesting desktop software already been written?

#103

Post by tonyedgecombe »

scalio wrote: post #62
jdgiese wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I definitely agree that people are slow to switch from what they know, but I don't think it is impossible to build software that will make people jump ship on the old stuff. Take Sketch for example ( http://www.sketchapp.com ). Everyone on our team used to use Adobe Illustrator, and now everyone uses Sketch instead, because for what we do, it is simpler and better.

Good example, I think it is easier to dislodge old tractors with tools built for one specific thing, i.e. that do less, but do it so much simpler that they're just a joy to use (at least in comparison).

I've often though a good strategy would be to look at some incumbent (Quickbooks, Photshop, etc) then choose a subset of their customers (Landlords, Real estate agents, etc) you can target more effectively than they can.

Re: Ask HN: Has all interesting desktop software already been written?

#104

Post by cableshaft »

thenomad wrote: post #81
pkorzeniewski wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hope desktop software will make a comeback, because the current situation with web-based applications is ridiculous - you pay on a monthly basis, but at the same time it can disappear the next month and you'll be left with nothing. With desktop software at least you pay once and can use it forever - just because an app is old doesn't mean it's suddenly "bad", if it serves your purpose and you mastered it over the y…

Speaking as a user of Adobe and Autodesk software, I wish this was still the case with desktop products...

I'm going to continue to use CS6 for as long as I can, because of the shift to the ephemeral subscription model. So far I still haven't felt the need to upgrade, but then again I don't do anything too crazy with them.

Re: Ask HN: Has all interesting desktop software already been written?

#106

Post by jotux »

crispytx wrote: post #78

At the mortgage company I worked at after college, the entire company was using "command line style" "ms-dos" looking software that ran the entire company. This software completely dominates the entire mortgage market! Makes some boring ass mortgage software with a GUI and some bug fixes and you might make yourself a millionaire. And the software was not "rock solid". It had all kinds of bugs that screwed up customer…

>The only reason companies use shit like that is because it beats running the company manually without a computer

Probably not. The reason they were probably using it is because it was originally written in the 80s/90s, it works, and it's too expensive to tear down their current architecture and teach everyone a new system.

Re: Ask HN: Has all interesting desktop software already been written?

#107

Post by anotheryou »

beachstartup wrote: post #56
anotheryou wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

that will give trouble on smaller screens, you'd have it scrolling or need to zoom a lot

i think the fact that you're trying to tell my own opinion to me is pretty hilarious.

My word choice ("cluttery") was a subjective bias, expressing, tongue-in-cheek, that I prefer folder hierarchies.

With my later comment I simply referred to the problem of translating the desktop widescreen to the small smartphone screen.

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