4 ms·

If you need "offline mode" why not just write a native app? It will be far better in every way - looks, performance, battery drain, you name it.

by gaius 9y ago

sova 9y ago
Make a native app for every independent platform?
- gaius 9y ago
  Windows, Linux, OSX - there just aren't that many platforms these days, it's perfectly do-able. If your core logic is in ANSI C (or equivalent) and you just need a GUI for each platform, even easier.
  - mahyarm 9y ago
    It's still 3 more platforms, which means 3 more developers, which leads to more $$$. Not everyone is VC backed with multi-millions.
    - gaius 9y ago
      But one of these "offline" apps has to work in Firefox, IE and Safari, so really, it's no different
      - squeaky-clean 9y ago
        As long as you stick to the APIs implemented in each browser, your code can be exactly identical. Realistically, you'll probably need to add some polyfills and edge case handling for IE, but it's much less than developing for different full-on platforms.
      - moosingin3space 9y ago
        With the major exception that all evergreen browsers (most browsers in wide use today) quickly officially support new web standards, but Windows, OS X, and Linux are unlikely to ever officially support each others' native toolkits.
  - squeaky-clean 9y ago
    Don't forget iOS, Android and Windows Phone.
vilmosi 9y ago
Because not every news website and blog needs an app. I think everybody is tired of seeing the "Install our app" banners for every website you visit.
- flukus 9y ago
  News websites and blogs don't need to work offline. Even if they did, "save page as" or an RSS reader was the way to go.
mbrock 9y ago
I don't want to ask everyone to install a native app, I don't want to use several different native app UI libraries, etc. I'm one of those people who thinks that the web browser as an app platform is a pretty good idea.
lenkite 9y ago
Nobody likes to download and install stuff. Just imagine the state of the web if you had to install a app for every website you visit ? Oh...you need to add iOS and Android to the list of platforms. That makes it 5 platforms. 5x the work.

If you need "offline mode" why not just write a native app? It will be far better in every way - looks, performance, battery drain, you name it.

by gaius 9y ago

If you need "offline mode" why not just write a native app? It will be far better in every way - looks, performance, battery drain, you name it.

sova 9y ago

Make a native app for every independent platform?

gaius 9y ago
Windows, Linux, OSX - there just aren't that many platforms these days, it's perfectly do-able. If your core logic is in ANSI C (or equivalent) and you just need a GUI for each platform, even easier.
- mahyarm 9y ago
  It's still 3 more platforms, which means 3 more developers, which leads to more $$$. Not everyone is VC backed with multi-millions.
  - gaius 9y ago
    But one of these "offline" apps has to work in Firefox, IE and Safari, so really, it's no different
    - squeaky-clean 9y ago
      As long as you stick to the APIs implemented in each browser, your code can be exactly identical. Realistically, you'll probably need to add some polyfills and edge case handling for IE, but it's much less than developing for different full-on platforms.
    - moosingin3space 9y ago
      With the major exception that all evergreen browsers (most browsers in wide use today) quickly officially support new web standards, but Windows, OS X, and Linux are unlikely to ever officially support each others' native toolkits.
- squeaky-clean 9y ago
  Don't forget iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

vilmosi 9y ago

Because not every news website and blog needs an app. I think everybody is tired of seeing the "Install our app" banners for every website you visit.

flukus 9y ago
News websites and blogs don't need to work offline. Even if they did, "save page as" or an RSS reader was the way to go.

mbrock 9y ago

I don't want to ask everyone to install a native app, I don't want to use several different native app UI libraries, etc. I'm one of those people who thinks that the web browser as an app platform is a pretty good idea.

lenkite 9y ago

Nobody likes to download and install stuff. Just imagine the state of the web if you had to install a app for every website you visit ? Oh...you need to add iOS and Android to the list of platforms. That makes it 5 platforms. 5x the work.