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> The flip side to this is that just because an app is entirely local doesn't mean it will work as the software around it gets updated (OSes etc), so if a compa

> The flip side to this is that just because an app is entirely local doesn't mean it will work as the software around it gets updated (OSes etc), so if a company decides to stop supporting it, that too is useless in a way. This used to be less of a problem, when OS vendors gave more of a shit about backward compatibility. But still, even today, this doesn't seem like a major risk. OS platforms really don't change that fast. I would expect a Linux, Mac or Windows app purchased today to actually work unpatched (on a computer with the same CPU architecture) for 10, maybe 20 years. I mean, we have games from the 90s that still can be made to work on a modern Windows machine. The most recent OS-driven rug-pull that broke software that I remember is Apple removing support for 32-bit apps. Which yes was a dick move. The web as a platform is a different story. Browser APIs are all over the place and things get broken constantly. I honestly would not be willing to pay for a browser-based software, full stop. I just feel like web developers in general are way less serious about forward and backward compatibility, and making sure their software works on a browser that isn't "Bleeding Edge Chrome".

blackqueeriroh 2y ago
Please tell me why Apple should’ve kept supporting 32-bit apps forever. Do you have a good, well-reasoned justification? Your comparison to Windows doesn’t make much sense. Windows is by far the less powerful and far more annoying to work with platform as a developer.
- inetknght 2y ago
  > Please tell me why Apple should’ve kept supporting 32-bit apps forever. Do you have a good, well-reasoned justification? Because there are many 32-bit apps which work great offline and require no further updates. They should continue to work with new hardware purchases regardless of OS installation.
- yjftsjthsd-h 2y ago
  > Please tell me why Apple should’ve kept supporting 32-bit apps forever. Breaking user's apps is a bad experience for them. Worse, it's not even something they can do something about... except by not updating, which is a lose-lose.
tkzed49 2y ago
just because web developers like to ship bugs doesn't mean that browser APIs break? Realistically web apps will keep shipping new versions that use new APIs, breaking old browsers. But that doesn't really speak to the platform—e.g. an electron-like or webview based app will probably keep working. Really, if you're using an online app, you should be updating your browser for security patches.
rapind 2y ago
> Browser APIs are all over the place and things get broken constantly. Not really. ES5 (2009, but realistically supported in 2012-2013) still works perfectly fine in pretty much all browsers. There's massive churn in JS frameworks absolutely, but that's not a browser thing. There are even languages still being transpiled to ES5. Just because there's a new js package manager twice a year, it doesn't mean you need to use it :)

blackqueeriroh 2y ago

Please tell me why Apple should’ve kept supporting 32-bit apps forever. Do you have a good, well-reasoned justification? Your comparison to Windows doesn’t make much sense. Windows is by far the less powerful and far more annoying to work with platform as a developer.

inetknght 2y ago
> Please tell me why Apple should’ve kept supporting 32-bit apps forever. Do you have a good, well-reasoned justification? Because there are many 32-bit apps which work great offline and require no further updates. They should continue to work with new hardware purchases regardless of OS installation.
yjftsjthsd-h 2y ago
> Please tell me why Apple should’ve kept supporting 32-bit apps forever. Breaking user's apps is a bad experience for them. Worse, it's not even something they can do something about... except by not updating, which is a lose-lose.

tkzed49 2y ago

just because web developers like to ship bugs doesn't mean that browser APIs break? Realistically web apps will keep shipping new versions that use new APIs, breaking old browsers. But that doesn't really speak to the platform—e.g. an electron-like or webview based app will probably keep working. Really, if you're using an online app, you should be updating your browser for security patches.

rapind 2y ago

> Browser APIs are all over the place and things get broken constantly. Not really. ES5 (2009, but realistically supported in 2012-2013) still works perfectly fine in pretty much all browsers. There's massive churn in JS frameworks absolutely, but that's not a browser thing. There are even languages still being transpiled to ES5. Just because there's a new js package manager twice a year, it doesn't mean you need to use it :)