Ask HN: Is commercial desktop software dead? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Is commercial desktop software dead?

#11

Post by not_a_bot » Fri, Jan 05, 2018, 1:55 PM UTC

you can always start with a desktop version and move to a web app if things go well/there is demand.

Re: Ask HN: Is commercial desktop software dead?

#12

Post by twobyfour » Fri, Jan 05, 2018, 3:17 PM UTC

If you know what you're doing, the UI/UX of a native desktop application can be light-years better than that of a web application. For almost any purpose.

SaaS, by contrast, is typically easier to monetize, distribute, and update; it can also be easier to build, depending on functionality and UI complexity.

Re: Ask HN: Is commercial desktop software dead?

#13

Post by newintown » Fri, Jan 05, 2018, 4:34 PM UTC

twobyfour wrote: post #12

If you know what you're doing, the UI/UX of a native desktop application can be light-years better than that of a web application. For almost any purpose. SaaS, by contrast, is typically easier to monetize, distribute, and update; it can also be easier to build, depending on functionality and UI complexity.

I might be wrong, but SaaS is a business model, not a technology or SaaS is not just web-based apps.

Re: Ask HN: Is commercial desktop software dead?

#14

Post by newintown » Fri, Jan 05, 2018, 4:35 PM UTC

zerr wrote: post #10

As an end-user, I'd rather download and use high quality desktop application than use webapp. First of all, this means no Electron/js/html webapp bundled as desktop, but a real native executable.

Amen to that :)

Re: Ask HN: Is commercial desktop software dead?

#15

Post by twobyfour » Fri, Jan 05, 2018, 5:02 PM UTC

newintown wrote: post #13

twobyfour wrote: post #12

If you know what you're doing, the UI/UX of a native desktop application can be light-years better than that of a web application. For almost any purpose. SaaS, by contrast, is typically easier to monetize, distribute, and update; it can also be easier to build, depending on functionality and UI complexity.

I might be wrong, but SaaS is a business model, not a technology or SaaS is not just web-based apps.

You're right; I should have said "web-based SaaS"

Re: Ask HN: Is commercial desktop software dead?

#16

Post by paulcole » Fri, Jan 05, 2018, 10:42 PM UTC

I work in marketing and if a tool isn't web-based I have no interest.

Re: Ask HN: Is commercial desktop software dead?

#17

Post by s-c-h » Sun, Jan 07, 2018, 1:12 AM UTC

Make it worth it for the client to install your app on his computer. For example, make it launch fast, work offline and if it makes sense, integrate it with the notification bar.

Re: Ask HN: Is commercial desktop software dead?

#18

Post by api » Sun, Jan 07, 2018, 9:26 PM UTC

drdrey wrote: post #8

See this post by patio11: http://www.kalzumeus.com/2009/09/05/desktop-aps-versus-web-a...

The point about piracy is important and is a major hidden factor here. The cloud is DRM.

Re: Ask HN: Is commercial desktop software dead?

#19

Post by api » Sun, Jan 07, 2018, 9:28 PM UTC

Mostly yes. The only exceptions are very high end areas like CAD and high end games that make full use of local hardware.

Everything else is going web. Even native clients are often boxed web UIs due to the cost savings of developing the UI only once.

Re: Ask HN: Is commercial desktop software dead?

#20

Post by veddox » Sun, Jan 07, 2018, 10:38 PM UTC

Personally, as a user, I much prefer desktop applications for software of any serious complexity. It's just that much better integrated into the system UI, there's no lag, and best of all: it's running on my computer. (Aside from privacy concerns, I often don't have Internet available...)

For developers, though, I can see why webapps are so much nicer to work with. (See patio11's blog post quoted by drdrey.) So I would posit that the defining metric is complexity: if your software is really complex (and/or doesn't need a server), make it desktop. Otherwise, go for the web.