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Do not download the app, use the website

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Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#461

Post by W3zzy »

rustystump wrote: post #134

I cannot agree more and this has always been a pet peeve of mine. Most native apps are some half gig large where even the heaviest website is a few mb. They dont let you highlight text and have other bizarre design choices. Even worse, they request importing contacts list which isnt even an option on the web. Native apps could be butter but more often than not they are like margarine. Smooth, oily, and not good for y…

:-) be nice to margarine. It can be used to better your health. Because it's not butter, it can be supplemented with vitamins and minerals and can be used to lower cholesterol. But, I get your point.

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#463

Post by Einenlum »

tempestn wrote: post #384

At AutoTempest we resisted making an app for years, because anything that a hypothetical app could do, we could do with the website. And in my opinion, when searching for cars, it's more convenient to be in your browser where you can easily open new tabs, bookmark results, etc. And for years, it was our most requested feature, by far. We had instructions for how to pin the site to your home screen, and would explain…

I remember when ChatGPT was released. I talked about it to a friend who is not technical. She said "oh wow, I really need to try it". She later said "I couldn't find the app in my AppStore".

I kept saying they had a website and why would you need an app. She couldn't understand what I was saying.

Seems like indeed the general public really likes apps and even thinks you can't do so many things in the browser.

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#464

Post by Einenlum »

RealCodingOtaku wrote: post #402
rplnt wrote: post #388

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> People just really like apps! I would say people really hate websites on mobile. The browsers are horrible, the pages are slow and oftentimes broken in some way. You get all these popups everywhere, ads are much more intrusive. It's just bad experience, so of course people would prefer app for something they use. I avoid the browser on mobile as much as possible and I don't remember ever having a good time using it…

This. I dislike most mobile websites as much as I hate the mobile apps. So to pick my poison, I have a formula. - Banking: Install it on a different android profile because my websites forces me to use the App one way or the other anyway. - If the site uses an existing open protocol to interact (IndieWeb, Fediverse, etc), use a non-browser/non-electron app that can handle multiple instances of such protocols. - If no…

I honestly hate PWAs. Last time I tried it, I realized I couldn't open a link in a new tab. Some people tried to make me use the PWA instead of browsing the website, but to me, it just makes my life harder.

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#465

Post by Einenlum »

devjab wrote: post #387
usr1106 wrote: post #339

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But you need to develop and maintain 2 apps. And to deal with 2 ugly companies. And even F-Droid if you were an ethically responsible business. So the GP's approach makes sense if you want to run your business in a lightway fashion.

I know it's not exactly the same because these tools are for internal use and never see the public, but react native works well while keeping the maintainence at a minimum. I'm not in on the ops site of device control, but our IT installs the APK packages directly through the enterprise control they have, so we don't have to deal with Apple or Google. So I agree with you completely on that part, but cross platform ma…

Could you elaborate on how they don't deal with the AppStore and the Play Store? I'm new to this.

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#467

Post by 44za12 »

You know what’s wild? We’ve reached a point where the “download our app!” pop-up is basically the digital equivalent of a mall kiosk worker chasing you down with a lotion sample. I just want to read the article, not sign up for a recurring relationship. The web is supposed to be open, frictionless, and—dare I say—fun. Instead, it’s become a minefield of dark patterns, nag screens, and “please enable notifications!” popups.

I love that this post is pushing back on the norm. Maybe, just maybe, we can start a movement to make the web usable again. Or at least make “No, thanks” actually mean “No, thanks.”

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#468

Post by amibm »

Totally agree. It's even difficult to accommodate too many apps in the mobile. I myself have been very cautious about the permissions, but it's a planned collaborative design of the smart phone ecosystem and so it's nearly impossible to protect personal data completely.

Also the entire tech industry is almost surviving on the promise of surveillance state and economy as if looked carefully there aren't that many success stories of the tech outside of the very obvious financial and automation industries. And that can serve only upto a certain level, but the hype of tech is way beyond that. To match that, they are desperate to break any law and all morals.

Also a glance at our own investment portfolio will tell us that it's our collective quest for wealth growth is the actual driving force of this 'everything financial' tech industry.

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#469

Post by WorldPeas »

rambambram wrote: post #416
WorldPeas wrote: post #66

as an individual more on the unconventional side I've gotten so dissatisfied with this that I have a donki nanote next just for viewing websites on-the-go. I really wish that people made a mobile device that could do the job of a phone and laptop. We have the technology.

How is the Nanote Next? I've been eyeing these kind of small laptops for years, but never got to buying one. Is it only available in Japan?

nope, it can be had via ebay for around 200 dollars, for which you get a metal chassis, 360 hinge, nice enough keyboard and track-nib, 8gb ddr4 and 64gb all to say that it's the basic system requirements to be a proper video-terminal into a mac desktop. The nanote itself has had some driver issues with its touchscreen (that I do not use, so didn't care to install) and screen rotation. I would say it's a shame we don't just have clamp on keyboards for our phones that are good enough to type on/tracknib and fit in our pockets, but that's perhaps for someone else to fix

Re: Do not download the app, use the website

#470

Post by ryukoposting »

rplnt wrote: post #388
tempestn wrote: post #384

At AutoTempest we resisted making an app for years, because anything that a hypothetical app could do, we could do with the website. And in my opinion, when searching for cars, it's more convenient to be in your browser where you can easily open new tabs, bookmark results, etc. And for years, it was our most requested feature, by far. We had instructions for how to pin the site to your home screen, and would explain…

> People just really like apps! I would say people really hate websites on mobile. The browsers are horrible, the pages are slow and oftentimes broken in some way. You get all these popups everywhere, ads are much more intrusive. It's just bad experience, so of course people would prefer app for something they use. I avoid the browser on mobile as much as possible and I don't remember ever having a good time using it…

I think this is a much more accurate characterization, especially in AutoTempest's case. Their experience on mobile has always been slow and glitchy. I'm not sure what makes their web "app" so heavy, but it's very noticeable.
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