Why did the web take over desktop and not mobile?

Post by Razengan » Sat, Sep 11, 2021, 5:16 PM UTC

nsonha wrote: post #136

Razengan wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> "open" as in anyone can make a website Anyone can make an app too. > if it's has one good article, it will show up in some google query's result. Maybe buried deep in the 100th page, but not the front.

> Anyone can make an app too. After they install some bloated IDE, learn some "tech", and pay the gatekeepers > Maybe buried deep in the 100th page But they can be found and share, as opposed to apps of a non existent category where average people publish what they are working on, their thoughts, or whatever. App Store and Google Play search would crumble at the scale of the number of websites in existence right now…

Post by jjtheblunt » Sat, Sep 11, 2021, 5:21 PM UTC

alpaca128 wrote: post #16

jjtheblunt wrote: post #7

Mobile code can not burn battery on unnecessary cpu use, and certainly not on unnecessary use of power transmitting over a radio link repetitively loading things: desktop gets power plugged into a wall and is therefore less constrained.

> unnecessary use of power transmitting over a radio link repetitively loading things Web apps can be installed on the phone. Has been working on Android for a long time, and it won't need to reload anything. I don't see them being much less efficient than "native" Android apps, especially considering their average quality. > desktop gets power plugged into a wall and is therefore less constrained Unless it's a lapto…

Post by imbnwa » Sat, Sep 11, 2021, 5:45 PM UTC

hliyan wrote: post #35

Lot of potential theories here. Allow me to offer one of my own: it's our physical posture and ergonomics. When on the desktop, you're usually sitting down in front of a desk after deciding to set aside some time for the express purpose of doing something on a computer. A small wait for the UI to render is tolerable. But when you're on a mobile device, it's usually the the thing you're using to kill time while you're…

Post by S_A_P » Sat, Sep 11, 2021, 5:51 PM UTC

mattlondon wrote: post #92

bhawks wrote: post #59

When iPhone and Android hit the scene the 'rich' web experience was primarily flash, silverlight, and some java applets (taking their last breathe). Input APIs for touch, multitouch and gesture were a mess for many years in the browser. Media queries didn't become a w3c recommendation until 2012 so building a ux that looked pleasant really wasn't possible. The memory, cpu, GPU, storage and battery constraints were un…

> The real question is how did the web remain relevant while being so far behind this tectonic platform shift? We didn't all shift to to smartphones the instant they became available. It took a while for people to transition to smartphones. Likewise getting an app up and running (in addition to their websites) took time for most businesses, and many probably waited before jumping on the band wagon I am sure everyone…

Post by manigandham » Sat, Sep 11, 2021, 5:57 PM UTC

amw-zero wrote: post #187

feanaro wrote: post #77

Native phone apps are more invasive and can therefore be used for more extensive tracking and spying, which is good for ad revenue. Remember how all the largest spying products like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Reddit, Twitter, etc aggressively push you to install their phone apps even though they are (or were) perfectly usable through their mobile websites.

People say this a lot, but really, what can a native app track that a web app can't? To track location, you need to give the app permission, just like the web. To receive push notifications, you need to give the app permission, just like the web. I think this claim is unfounded.