
Are mobile web apps slow? - Unregistered
http://blogs.adobe.com/digitalmedia/2013/08/are-mobile-web-apps-slow/
======
thekingshorses
Hacker news webapp for mobile - [http://hn.premii.com](http://hn.premii.com)

I wrote this client. It is as fast as most other native HN mobile apps, but
mine works on iOS, Android browser, and windows phone 8. It also works on
regular browsers.

I have wrapped this in hybrid app using phonegap, but only submitted to Google
play. One day I will submit it to Apple too.
[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.premii.hn](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.premii.hn)

But it is not a simple task to make fast performing HTML5 app that works on
all mobile browsers.

~~~
mkhalil
By far the best web app I have ever used. Period. How did you manage to make
it so fast? Also most web apps I pin to my home screen (not many) open in
safari. how did you manage to get this to open it is own 'app'. It's not a
part of safari, it has it owns icon in the app switcher.

+1000 KUDOS

I WILL be using this app a lot.

edit: More kudos for being a Wolverine like myself. Go Blue!

~~~
thekingshorses
Thanks,

I am not using any framework, and using vanilla JS as much as possible.

If you add these meta tags, it will open as app.

    
    
        <meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style" content="black" />
        <meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-capable" content="yes"/>
        <meta name="apple-touch-fullscreen" content="YES"/>
    

And this for icon <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" sizes="144x144"
href="a/icon/ios/Icon-72@2x.png"/>

~~~
bdash
After adding the site to the home screen there doesn't seem to be any way to
get back to your site after following a link to the full version of an
article. Known issue?

Other than that issue, I'm very impressed with the site. The design and
performance are excellent.

~~~
thekingshorses
Yes that is a know issue and I don't know the best way to solve that.

------
ndnichols
Q: "Are mobile web apps slow?"

A: "A web app's CPU budget is spent in three different buckets"

Q: "That... doesn't answer my question."

A: "Javascript is the puppet master of the browser engine."

Q: "That doesn't either."

A: "I'm the director of engineering for the Web Platform team at Adobe. I sort
of have to write blog posts like this."

Q: "Ah, ok. No hard feelings then. You're in a tough spot."

A: "Yes. Yes, I am."

~~~
markdown
> Are mobile web apps slow?

A meaningless question. Slow relative to what? Slow for whom? What sort of app
are we talking about?

~~~
CmonDev
Relative to native. Slow for users. A typical non-super-dynamic app. Use
common sense.

------
droidist2
IMO it's not so much a question of performance, but of shaky browser support
(especially on mobile) for things like real-time audio, video, vector
graphics, and socket communication. Thankfully Adobe Flash / AIR really shine
in these areas. It's sad that Adobe doesn't seem to realize it.

------
voltagex_
Yes. [http://sealedabstract.com/rants/why-mobile-web-apps-are-
slow...](http://sealedabstract.com/rants/why-mobile-web-apps-are-slow/)

~~~
lukifer
In fairness, the word should be "slower". Performance is always relative
and/or subjective.

------
akanet
I (strongly dis)like how the article's titular question actually goes almost
completely unanswered throughout the article. The article seems like a round
defense of Javascript's productivity and interoperability benefits, but the
original article (Why mobile apps are slow) had almost nothing to do with
those issues. If you are going to respond to someone else's essay, please at
least address the prompt!

------
xiaomai
This doesn't directly address web apps, but is a much more substantial
rebuttal of some of the original article's claims: [http://www.excelsior-
usa.com/blog/java/5plus-garbage-collect...](http://www.excelsior-
usa.com/blog/java/5plus-garbage-collectors/)

------
bsimpson
Drew's post was very well explained, and relied heavily on concrete examples.
This rebuttal was very much the opposite.

------
eonil
This article written to advocate current direction of Adobe, but fails on
everywhere by evading single question on title.

------
DevKoala
I also felt like he evaded the question he posed to himself.

------
weixiyen
Yes, for the most part (relative to native apps).

