4 ms·

The future of monetizing a mobile web app

10 points by iseff 16y ago

ivan_ah 16y ago
Isn't this post a blatant advertising for AppStoreHQ ? It's not like i learned something new from it, they just promoted their future app store. Sometimes i wish there was a down-vote on HN...
- iseff 16y ago
  I didn't actually mean for this to be a blatant advertising post at all. I'm really sorry you feel that way. Hopefully I can help explain my real goal better here: My goal was to help educate developers to the fact that mobile web apps have a bright future. Developers don't necessarily need to feel trapped by the popular native mobile platforms (iPhone, Android, etc) when there are other options available that are more open, more familiar, and easier to port to many different devices. Still, mobile web apps have a long way to go for both developers and users, and distribution and monetization are two of the most important vectors that need to be improved. The point of the post was to show the potential of mobile web apps first, and to show how AppStoreHQ is helping these vectors for developers and users second.
  - DenisM 16y ago
    I'm really sorry you feel that way. That's not how you accept responsibility, that's how you shift the blame back to the aggrieved person and piss them off some more. I don't have any strong feelings in this situation, just pointing out a place where can save you plenty of problems down the road: apologize unreservedly or not at all. For a better take try this: I'm sorry I came across like this, I meant better than that.
- phreeza 16y ago
  I agree. Maybe more suitable for Tell HN. Also, what about Paypal, is it impossible to do that in a mobile setting? And as far as I know there is a downvote, when you pass a certain karma threshold?
jhuckestein 16y ago
Google announced a Chrome Web Store that does exactly that. IMHO this is Apple's blind side, too. I can rebuild most of the appstore's apps in HTML 5 and "sell" them through mobile safari. Apple doesn't get a ut if I do that.
- DenisM 16y ago
  Have you tried? It seems to me that it's very hard to replicate the native feel of the apps in HTML as there is always some imperceptible lag that kills the experience compared to silky-smooth native cocoa touch. Nothing prevents Apple from maintaining or even widening this gap, if they chose to.
  - jhuckestein 16y ago
    Here's some things that prevent Apple from having the AppStore compete with web-apps: - Developer Support: Web apps only need to be coded once for all platforms. Deployment is in only one location (instead of all installed devices). tTe idea of a thin client is VERY appealing to many developers. - Mobile Safari: If Apple wants their mobile browser to remain competitive with Google's mobile browsers they need to support the very features that will kill the AppStore - The AppStore policies: I can publish apps that would violate the AppStore's terms as a web-app. It will be cross-platform and can even be things like a code editor or a porn browser. Go and try 280slides.com. We're very close already as far as UI and feel goes. IMHO it's very hard to deny the coming age of web apps and thin clients (aka the age of Chrome OS).
    - DenisM 16y ago
      280slides is terribly broken on the iPhone, so it proves nothing.

10 points by iseff 16y ago

Isn't this post a blatant advertising for AppStoreHQ ? It's not like i learned something new from it, they just promoted their future app store. Sometimes i wish there was a down-vote on HN...

iseff 16y ago
I didn't actually mean for this to be a blatant advertising post at all. I'm really sorry you feel that way. Hopefully I can help explain my real goal better here: My goal was to help educate developers to the fact that mobile web apps have a bright future. Developers don't necessarily need to feel trapped by the popular native mobile platforms (iPhone, Android, etc) when there are other options available that are more open, more familiar, and easier to port to many different devices. Still, mobile web apps have a long way to go for both developers and users, and distribution and monetization are two of the most important vectors that need to be improved. The point of the post was to show the potential of mobile web apps first, and to show how AppStoreHQ is helping these vectors for developers and users second.
- DenisM 16y ago
  I'm really sorry you feel that way. That's not how you accept responsibility, that's how you shift the blame back to the aggrieved person and piss them off some more. I don't have any strong feelings in this situation, just pointing out a place where can save you plenty of problems down the road: apologize unreservedly or not at all. For a better take try this: I'm sorry I came across like this, I meant better than that.
phreeza 16y ago
I agree. Maybe more suitable for Tell HN. Also, what about Paypal, is it impossible to do that in a mobile setting? And as far as I know there is a downvote, when you pass a certain karma threshold?

jhuckestein 16y ago

Google announced a Chrome Web Store that does exactly that. IMHO this is Apple's blind side, too. I can rebuild most of the appstore's apps in HTML 5 and "sell" them through mobile safari. Apple doesn't get a ut if I do that.

DenisM 16y ago
Have you tried? It seems to me that it's very hard to replicate the native feel of the apps in HTML as there is always some imperceptible lag that kills the experience compared to silky-smooth native cocoa touch. Nothing prevents Apple from maintaining or even widening this gap, if they chose to.
- jhuckestein 16y ago
  Here's some things that prevent Apple from having the AppStore compete with web-apps: - Developer Support: Web apps only need to be coded once for all platforms. Deployment is in only one location (instead of all installed devices). tTe idea of a thin client is VERY appealing to many developers. - Mobile Safari: If Apple wants their mobile browser to remain competitive with Google's mobile browsers they need to support the very features that will kill the AppStore - The AppStore policies: I can publish apps that would violate the AppStore's terms as a web-app. It will be cross-platform and can even be things like a code editor or a porn browser. Go and try 280slides.com. We're very close already as far as UI and feel goes. IMHO it's very hard to deny the coming age of web apps and thin clients (aka the age of Chrome OS).
  - DenisM 16y ago
    280slides is terribly broken on the iPhone, so it proves nothing.