Exactly. I reject the entire premise that web apps are fundamentally "better for you". Yes, they have zero installation, and that's great. There are also a number of drawbacks that the author ignores or glosses over, such as requiring ubiquitous high speed (and often low latency) connections, having all your data in the hands of a third party, and apps being written for the lowest common denominator of HTML/CSS/Javascript rather than taking advantage of advanced OS functionality. Both web and local apps have their place, and there's no need for one type to dominate.
I reject the entire premise that web apps are fundamentally "better for you".
You're inserting the word "fundamentally", but the author is not claiming they are fundamentally better than native applications at all. Not every article is "X vs Y".
His premise for talking about commitment mechanisms is that you've already decided that web applications are the long-term optimal choice for you. If it isn't the optimal choice for you, the commitment mechanism is meaningless.
