"However, web apps also allow organizations to write once for many platforms in a much more seamless way than most cross-platform native toolkits I've seen." Does it? I used to think that. Until every medium-complexity or worse web project I've worked on took forever as we went through all the different browsers and OS's and now mobile and tablets and responsive and OMG just give me a decent native app tool now pleas…
In reply to your comment:
Perhaps, and I lack the experience and evidence to contradict you. I work solo on small to mid size projects that are mostly back-end. But I am fairly confident that with the large number of mid+ size web app projects we would be seeing a migration back to more native apps if the overhead is actually greater than maintaining multiple native apps.
It's not like every company in the world is incapable of independently assessing their needs. And bandwagons will form when independently-minded companies change their processes. So why aren't we seeing a mass exodus from complex web apps? And why are many orgs using native wrappers around these supposedly terrible web apps to produce a pseudo-native app?
EDIT: Also, how would you address how much easier it is to try out a web app without having to install it vs. finding, downloading, installing and running a native/mobile app?