app vs web app
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- hotroddy
Now that flash vs html5 war is over let's discuss the merits of app vs web app.
Because of my limited native app background - I was afraid that iphones were going to kill web dev like it killed the flash player.
But I feel like the trend to build native apps is slowing... Personally I don't use any apps. They clog to much precious phone space and I'd rather allocate phone space to music and photos.
What are your preferences as a user and as a developer?
Was wire magazine 2012 prediction below wrong? Or will we see less use on the web browser.
- formed0
Apple wants to kill it. As Cook said about the TV "the future is apps". Obviously that's a business move, like killing flash, that hugely benefits Apple. 30% of everything is some big dollars.
Personally, I think it's fading (I hope so). I think they got it wrong with the Pro. That should have had OSX on it, but they will make more money controlling the apps. But from what I've been reading, "real" program developers aren't going to remake everything just for the Pro, especially when the Surface is there if someone wants a tablet and the real Photoshop.
I've also read that more companies are ditching the apps because it just costs too much to maintain two, or three, platforms (web, iOS, Android). Having the web supports everyone.
Things like games, etc., will continue to be apps, but I don't use any either. Flipboard is all I care about, everything else is the same as their website or worse.
- I think the Surface and Pro will be crap and no one will buy.hotroddy
- tablet sales are fallinghotroddy
- sales have already been goodformed
- I agree, very few apps will be tailored to the ipad pro. Putting a full OSX on that would have been a game changer.section_014
- Surface Book is only dual core. Early adopters have been plagued with faults. Its been a wee bit of a fail. Looks beautiful though!microkorg
- utopian2
The web is currently littered with websites that all look the same.
- inteliboy2
Headline hyperbole gone mad. Whenever something new comes along ≠ the previous thing is "dead".
- epic_rim0
It seems like Google is pushing for more browser capabilities with prefetch, service workers, push, etc. iOS Safari is not keeping up. Apple has no interest in mobile web. But no one keeps apps. If the App Store functioned more like a search engine, where I could search for general terms like "sweaters" and then fire up an app, maybe it would work.
- lvl_137
the problem with apps on a mobile device is just that-they are tied to the platform. the fact that the most popular sites place a popup that says "hey-did you know we have and app? this shit will make it 1000% better if you use it rather than your browser!" is fucking stupid.
I don't want 100 different apps that mimic their current site. just make your site as functional as your app. not possible? well then do some research and make it as close to what your "app" does and make it work.
this isn't rocket science. if you provide a product-make it as easy as possible to use/purchase.
- section_0140
I think web apps are going to continue to grow and grow. Considering the fact that so many native apps are just web sites written for ios/android, it only makes sense.
Polymer for sure, and possibly a few other front end frameworks, have functionality in place for installing web apps that function perfectly offline. For lots and lots of apps that function like websites, this makes more sense.
For apps that use audio (music production), 3d, and possibly the camera, native is still the way to go, imo. Native will always be faster in those situations.
Another side to this discussion is the recent opensourcing of Apple's Swift programming language. Which I view as them providing a way to write apps for both ios and android with one code base. I don't think there's a compiler ready yet, but I'd bet on one being available soon.
- ESKEMA0
Hardware and OS integration is why native apps are more powerful than web apps. They run faster and allow offline access, but we dont need native apps for everything. A lot can just stay in the browser.
- wanda0
everything is going to be an isomorphic javascript webapp.