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What’s the Future? Native Apps or Mobile Web Apps?

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Re: What’s the Future? Native Apps or Mobile Web Apps?

#12
html5 will steadily wire up the missing features over the next few years with WebGL, device API workgroup[1], notifications api[2], video and audio tags etc.

the problem is that vendors will have a conflict in implementing those features since they will compete with their native apps and app stores

Apple and Google will need developer pressure to keep them honest, and hopefully give us access to the appstore upside of distribution while writing to just the html5 api

[1] http://www.w3.org/2009/05/DeviceAPICharter

[2] https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/group/chromium-html...

Re: What’s the Future? Native Apps or Mobile Web Apps?

#14

> Can you name one great application the last 10 years that wasn’t a web app or a game? Yes. Scrivener.

Or pick any of the content creation apps at all, really.

Essentially, if your app is glorified advertising or a just a front-end to an online database, yeah, you can probably use the web. Otherwise, if there's more than just pretty, mostly static, graphics over the top of SQL, then you better go native otherwise your competitors will.

I see articles like this all the time that talk about "their mom" not minding such and such. Really, they are just talking about setting the bar low enough to step over it. My parent used a shitty virus laden install of windows xp for years, and crashing was just part of the experience, like a sticky lock or a worn screwdriver. Do not use others expectations as an excuse -- surprise and delight people. (dammit :-))

Re: What’s the Future? Native Apps or Mobile Web Apps?

#16
post #8

I think the biggest problem is that Apple has created the behavior of going to the appstore to find stuff, and until startups and developers stop going this route, or Apple really starts doing what they say, and promote HTML5 apps.. then the transition will be slow.

It's true, I've known a couple of startups who went the mobile web route only to continually hit the "I can't find your app in the store" support question. Using Phone Gap or a wrapped mobile web app in a native app mitigates this though.

Re: What’s the Future? Native Apps or Mobile Web Apps?

#17
post #12

html5 will steadily wire up the missing features over the next few years with WebGL, device API workgroup[1], notifications api[2], video and audio tags etc. the problem is that vendors will have a conflict in implementing those features since they will compete with their native apps and app stores Apple and Google will need developer pressure to keep them honest, and hopefully give us access to the appstore upside o…

The thing google, and apple need to protect is there distribution channel, not there platform. If you lock down your distribution platform you can charge 30% for recurring subscriptions. This incentivizes companies like Apple, and Google to not optimize the experience of packaging, and installing mobile apps over the air. They don't want to hobble there web experience though, as that is something many people do on their phones. Things like WebGL will make it into phones eventually, standards are just slow. Google has already started to implement the Device API in honeycomb.

Re: What’s the Future? Native Apps or Mobile Web Apps?

#18

> Can you name one great application the last 10 years that wasn’t a web app or a game? Yes. Scrivener.

Chrome, Firefox, OneNote, Sharepoint, iTunes, Windows Media Center, Camtasia, VMWare, Git, Garage Band, Final Cut Pro, CS5+, True Crypt, Visual Studio 2010, ... The list can go on and on (although some might be slightly older than 10 years old).

Re: What’s the Future? Native Apps or Mobile Web Apps?

#19
It will take a long time till there will be no native apps anymore. As long as the choice remains between the browser experience and native apps, native apps will still have a chance. The moment the first OS finds a new and cooler more native style experience way to access the internet and website, Webservices will win.

Re: What’s the Future? Native Apps or Mobile Web Apps?

#20

> Can you name one great application the last 10 years that wasn’t a web app or a game? Yes. Scrivener.

Chrome, Firefox, OneNote, Sharepoint, iTunes, Windows Media Center, Camtasia, VMWare, Git, Garage Band, Final Cut Pro, CS5+, True Crypt, Visual Studio 2010, ... The list can go on and on (although some might be slightly older than 10 years old).

Actually, most of these applications are more than 10 years old. And back-end systems, develompent tools and heavy duty media creation apps can hardly be compared to something that's a candidate for a web app.
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