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Best of luck getting paying users to install each individual desktop application, as opposed to installing a browser and then navigating to multiple application

Best of luck getting paying users to install each individual desktop application, as opposed to installing a browser and then navigating to multiple applications without any additional desktop/native work. I guess there might be space for something like Steam, but for business apps, but I just don't see it. The argument "This isn't what the web was made for" is kind of a cowpath argument. The web is being used to (among other things) browse applications. Whether or not that's what anyone planned is irrelevant. That's what's happening right now. I think it's fair to suggest paths forward that both accommodate users and also bring sanity, but tagging every attempt at progressing applications-in-browser as "Square peg, round hole, need native app" just totally dismisses most of the users these applications are trying to capture.

still_grokking 6y ago
People are installing apps for "everything" on mobile. Even for stuff where a web page exists and is fully sufficient. The rest is just: "But with a big enough hammer we get the square peg into the round hole, so what's wrong with that? People are doing that the whole time. Seems fine".
- bird_monster 6y ago
  Right, and when there is a viable app store that might be possible for desktop environments (the exact reason I brought up steam). Until then, though, desktop apps are just a unanimous negative most of the time (from a "get users to actually use our software" perspective). edit I am speaking from the experience of trying to build a desktop app. I think people suggesting "Just build a desktop app" have no idea the amount of feedback that gets received to the tune of "Why do I have to download an app". It's staggering.
  - still_grokking 6y ago
    Doing an "apt install", or just clicking install in some GUI, isn't such a big deal as you're pretending. I've heard of systems where it's a bit more fuss. But that's a problem with their software distribution model respectively.
    - bird_monster 6y ago
      > Doing an "apt install", or just clicking install in some GUI, isn't such a big deal as you're pretending. To you. Software devs are rarely the targets of the products they build. Also, I am not pretending. It was my job for several years.
      - still_grokking 6y ago
        I can just repeat: That's a problem with the specific manner of software distribution on some operating systems, and not a general argument in favor of web-apps.
claudiawerner 6y ago
Yeah, it doesn't make sense to me. Consider this from the developer's point of view, and every single developer will tell you they'd rather make Javascript and some HTML rather than GTK application in C, especially when it'll work on every platform except maybe Plan 9.
- bird_monster 6y ago
  For the vast majority of developers, C/C++ native desktop applications aren't a great idea. For the vast majority of businesses, C/C++ native desktop applications aren't a great idea. If QT was going to become ___the tool___ for desktop dev, it would've done it by now.
- still_grokking 6y ago
  As a developer I'm saying I would prefer QML to HTML anytime. :-D

still_grokking 6y ago

People are installing apps for "everything" on mobile. Even for stuff where a web page exists and is fully sufficient. The rest is just: "But with a big enough hammer we get the square peg into the round hole, so what's wrong with that? People are doing that the whole time. Seems fine".

bird_monster 6y ago
Right, and when there is a viable app store that might be possible for desktop environments (the exact reason I brought up steam). Until then, though, desktop apps are just a unanimous negative most of the time (from a "get users to actually use our software" perspective). edit I am speaking from the experience of trying to build a desktop app. I think people suggesting "Just build a desktop app" have no idea the amount of feedback that gets received to the tune of "Why do I have to download an app". It's staggering.
- still_grokking 6y ago
  Doing an "apt install", or just clicking install in some GUI, isn't such a big deal as you're pretending. I've heard of systems where it's a bit more fuss. But that's a problem with their software distribution model respectively.
  - bird_monster 6y ago
    > Doing an "apt install", or just clicking install in some GUI, isn't such a big deal as you're pretending. To you. Software devs are rarely the targets of the products they build. Also, I am not pretending. It was my job for several years.
    - still_grokking 6y ago
      I can just repeat: That's a problem with the specific manner of software distribution on some operating systems, and not a general argument in favor of web-apps.

claudiawerner 6y ago

Yeah, it doesn't make sense to me. Consider this from the developer's point of view, and every single developer will tell you they'd rather make Javascript and some HTML rather than GTK application in C, especially when it'll work on every platform except maybe Plan 9.

bird_monster 6y ago
For the vast majority of developers, C/C++ native desktop applications aren't a great idea. For the vast majority of businesses, C/C++ native desktop applications aren't a great idea. If QT was going to become ___the tool___ for desktop dev, it would've done it by now.
still_grokking 6y ago
As a developer I'm saying I would prefer QML to HTML anytime. :-D