Just to add a counter-point to the readily expressed opinion here on HN that the web is terrible and we should all go back to programming Coltran; the only plac

Just to add a counter-point to the readily expressed opinion here on HN that the web is terrible and we should all go back to programming Coltran; the only place for desktop apps is testing new APIs for new technologies which the Web can adopt once they've stabilized. So if your phone gets some new breathalyzer sensor or something, and you can't interact with it via WebUSB or WebBT then yeah, you're gonna have to drop down to the OS runtime to play with that until the standards bodies finish arguing about what WebBreathalyzer API should look like. Or more likely, that never happens because it turns out that few people need a phone with a breathalyzer. The web is the common denominator, the platform that runs on the most devices supporting their most common features. That makes it clearly superior for applications which need to reach the broadest audience. That only grows as more and different platforms emerge. But there's always going to be something new to play with, and that's fine too.