

Is there any reason for desktop apps anymore? - whalliburton
http://whydoeseverythingsuck.com/2008/09/is-there-any-reason-for-desktop-apps.html

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unalone
Why is it that everything I read in this blog pisses me off?

Yes. Of course there is. We aren't nearly at the point yet where the Internet
works as quickly as hardware. We don't have a world with wonderful connections
everywhere. Desktop apps are leagues faster in every regard. And I'd say we
need a long time before that'll be fixed.

Plus, once you work inside a web browser, you don't just have the layer
abstraction, you have a visual abstraction. Know what I like about Mail and
Newsfire? The fact that they have ultraminimal interfaces for what they do.
When I stick that inside Safari, I suddenly have something that's uglier than
the original thing was. Even MobileMe suffers from that visually.

For somebody whose URL would imply a high level of criticism, which is always
good, these posts always seem to advocate very sucky things.

~~~
axod
Quite a lot of people just run webapps in prism etc these days, so they pretty
much look like desktop apps.

~~~
unalone
Nah, sorry. Not the came. The mere existence of a shell means you've got more
interface than is actually necessary.

~~~
axod
A shell? I don't follow.

~~~
unalone
With a desktop app, the windows of the app is part of the interface. With any
SSB, the window just takes away screen space.

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corentin
> Imagine slightly faster computers, faster virtual machines, and the ability
> for web apps to, with appropriate permissions, access local resources like
> storage and notification services. Then imagine browser windows without all
> that browser chrome (buttons an such around the edges so the windows look
> like app windows).

Is there any reason for trucks anymore?

Imagine a car, but much more powerful, and with a big trailer attached to it.

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greyman
I basically agree with the author, because:

1) as he says, with slightly faster computers, for more and more applications
the speed will not be an issue. 2) Internet connection will be more common in
the future (my prediction) 3) Even if you don't have Internet connection
temporarily, you can work offline (google gears technology) and sync when you
connect.

The advantages are: 1) Your data are online, so accessible from any computer
without additional work. 2) The software itself is online, no need to
install/maintain it.

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praxis
Unlike all the soft suburban dwelling people, some of us realize there is a
real world where things go wrong, and being able to still use your computer
for critical things can be a life saver. Just ask the military, even if you
SIPRNET is down you still want to pull up imagery, print out maps and plan
your mission to go kill the guys who made our power fail.

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bestes
Physical devices is one reason. Doing firmware updates is impossible with a
web app. It might _seem_ like a small thing, but look at how well Apple is
using iTunes and QuickTime to create a beechhead in Windows. (QT needs graphic
card and audio access, iTunes needs USB access)

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chaostheory
needing 10 million different logins... OpenID adoption is still slow.

Until the Facebooks and MySpaces get everyone used to using apps and not just
dinky games, this will still be a big problem.

~~~
axod
You use 10 million different desktop apps?

~~~
eru
Actually, 20 million.

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TCL15
You're kidding, right?

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TCL15
You're kidding, right?

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snewe
Yes.

