
How to decide between a responsive website or a native mobile app - wappe
http://thenextweb.com/dd/2014/02/08/decide-responsive-website-native-mobile-app/
======
drygh
The article completely overlooks _hybrid apps_ \- the middleground between the
two choices in many areas. In my opinion, hybrid apps have a bright future
because they have the potential to grow in two critical areas:

(1) _Leveraging the growth of the web_

History has proven that the web is becoming more mature and stable, and that
it offers an excellent platform for development in most cases. The tools and
frameworks being developed allow developers to build more efficiently. The web
is a solid backbone that has only gotten stronger over time. Native mobile
development has also grown in this aspect. However, how do we know the native
pattern won't follow the same course as desktop applications? Sure, there will
always be use cases for native mobile apps, just as there are critical desktop
applications that haven't been replaced yet. The web seems to be more
consistent, and as it continues to grow, it only continues to fuel the hybrid
development community.

(2) _Building off of a maturing mobile community._

For the most part, hybrid development is simply an abstraction over native
APIs. If the native app development ecosystem slows down, becomes more mature,
and stable - it helps the hybrid ecosystem. The fact that iOS and Android are
becoming the standard helps reinforce this idea. This allows us to build those
abstractions and tools that make hybrid development possible. Exponential
growth and change are the enemies of hybrid.

New native platforms and functionalities are like earthquakes. The architects
and engineers on the surface who rebuild are the hybrid ecosystem. Over time,
the world introduces new tools for these architects and engineers to make them
more productive. This is the web - the fuel for the hybrid world.

So what happens if the earthquakes become smaller and less frequent? What
happens when the architects and engineers begin to become more effective, at
the same time?

Anyway, other than the previous points, the author summarizes the decisions to
be made by businesses quite nicely. It's all about measuring the trade-offs...

