The Decline of the Mobile Web • Hacker News Board

Re: The Decline of the Mobile Web

#51

Post by IpxqwidxG » Mon, Apr 07, 2014, 8:04 PM UTC

rimantas wrote: post #42

IpxqwidxG wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, but the growth aspect will move away from new native apps to new web apps as soon as 'UI side of the web' stops trailing too far. I agree with you that the competition will push either sides forward, but by how much at each end? - that is the question.

> as soon as 'UI side of the web' stops trailing too far Except not likely it ever will.

Why do you think so?

There has been serious improvement in many areas of mobile web/browser support in the last 12 odd months; for what I've seen. Thanks to Android, Chrome, Firefox and Dolphin.

Re: The Decline of the Mobile Web

#52

Post by perlpimp » Mon, Apr 07, 2014, 8:04 PM UTC

when you will be able to integrate web into mobile OS then we will be talking. Mobile just in a browser window is unexciting and cumbersome. Mobile Internet, I wouldn't call it so much the web but more like integrated experience can bring so much more to the mobile platform. but it would take another Apple with Steve Jobs to implement it(IMO). Basically it is unploughed field and investment need is of investment of epic proportion of research and monetary kind. The whole look and feel of mobile OSes has to change. Mobile Internet is kind of boring when it is contrained to just one of little boxes on the screen, if mobile has access to OS services that would another thing.

my 2c

Re: The Decline of the Mobile Web

#53

Post by rimantas » Mon, Apr 07, 2014, 8:05 PM UTC

IpxqwidxG wrote: post #9

In my opinion mobile web is yet to arrive, we have just gotten HTML5 standards finalized only about an year ago. While native has had roughly seven years lead when it comes to providing quality online experience, web apps can beat native easily. And no it's not that web apps or web development or talent for mobile web development is limited or is the bottleneck. The bottleneck is usually the vendors and support of st…

  > While native has had roughly seven years lead

Nope, it has not. Remember, web apps were first on iPhone, before native third party apps. And that's not to mention "common" web.

Also, the roots of HTML5 go back to 2004 when whatwg was formed.

> when it comes to providing quality online experience, > web apps can beat native easily.

You have no idea what you are talking about. Anyone speaking this: please, find a time and get familiar with native SDKs. You absolutely have no clue how far far far behind web tech for apps is. Just do not forget that being capable to do something does not imply that this capability if pleasant to work with, performant enough, or at all useable. I lost my hope that web-tech-for-mobile will ever go past "which mvc framework to use" stage.

Re: The Decline of the Mobile Web

#54

Post by gopher1 » Mon, Apr 07, 2014, 8:05 PM UTC

njohnw wrote: post #17

It's difficult to reconcile the Flurry stats with the fact that most blogs / publishers are seeing a higher percentage of their traffic come from mobile web (>50% in many cases). One reason could be that their stats don't include mobile web usage within apps (i.e. FB / Twitter). That discounts a lot of my own browsing behavior.

Also, as someone pointed out in the comments of the article, if you count video games in the "time spent in apps", then really it's the gaming consoles and devices that are losing out, not mobile websites, so the discrepancy between web and apps is overstated.

As always, look at the data for your own website/service before deciding which path to take.

Re: The Decline of the Mobile Web

#55

Post by whatts » Mon, Apr 07, 2014, 8:06 PM UTC

Agree in general. This is worrisome. However, (1) is most probably exaggerated. On mobile, you have an unbelievably broad selection, this will never become an oligopoly. But big players will get bigger. Anyway, Firefox OS may become a promising alternative, althought it comes with some of the same downsides.

Re: The Decline of the Mobile Web

#56

Post by diminish » Mon, Apr 07, 2014, 8:06 PM UTC

ChuckMcM wrote: post #25

It seems 'mobile apps' are like Flash was in the 90's, basically a way to take full control over the UX to achieve some particular goal. Given the preponderance of such apps it seems as if home screens are due for a make over that looks more like iPod music libraries than 'desktop.' Basically something which supports dozens if not hundreds of apps on a device.

Time spent is a very tricky measure, and OP is making the mistake of taking it too seriously. Games, social/chat, video, especially porn always take more time than anything else, and mobile apps are enjoying their time...

Re: The Decline of the Mobile Web

#57

Post by KaiserPro » Mon, Apr 07, 2014, 8:08 PM UTC

Part of the reason why people prefer "apps" to mobile websites is speed.

Mobile website, infact normal websites are large, clunky and not designed for fingers, or high latency.

Re: The Decline of the Mobile Web

#58

Post by josu » Mon, Apr 07, 2014, 8:08 PM UTC

msvan wrote: post #22

fidotron wrote: post #10

I'm of the view this is a lot of fuss about nothing. Big deal if people prefer apps over the "open" web. The reality is a large number of people use the likes of MSN and Yahoo as web home pages, and unless you were linked to from them they were unlikely to find you. The app launcher situation is an improvement over that. The big problem is that dipping your toes into something via a website (assuming you don't hit an…

It's not a scrapeability problem; it's a freedom problem. The article mentions this. Why should the app stores decide what can and cannot be on our phones, and why should they add a 30% tax on everything that is published on mobile? There are a lot of claims that the tech industry is disrupting the big music and books businesses, for the benefit of consumers, but these new players are acting like the middlemen they a…

>Why should the app stores decide what can and cannot be on our phones

This is not a freedom problem. You have the freedom to buy an Android device, and you have the freedom to install any apk you want without ever even opening the Google app store. Moreover, Google even allows 3rd party app stores on their devices.

And of course these new players are acting as middlemen, but you are forgetting the fundamental difference, and this is what has changed the game. Anybody can publish their app, virtually for free. There are no gatekeepers, who decide what gets published and what doesn't, anymore.

Re: The Decline of the Mobile Web

#59

Post by bowlofpetunias » Mon, Apr 07, 2014, 8:08 PM UTC

The mobile web experience is just not good enough yet.

But we've seen this pattern multiple times over the past 15+ years, the open web by its very nature needs time to catch up.

It doesn't mean that the current state of affairs is final.

It took the open web over a decade to start making proprietary "rich media" solutions like Flash obsolete. These things take time.

Open web will never be at the lead of innovation, it just provides the foundation for it. Also, most mobile apps still use the web to be networked. The browser is not the web.

Re: The Decline of the Mobile Web

#60

Post by protomyth » Mon, Apr 07, 2014, 8:09 PM UTC

Which is easier to code: a mobile app or a mobile website? The tools are much better for the mobile app and it is much easier to do cool stuff. Plus the testing time is much quicker. Path of least resistance and biggest wow.