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That chart is bogus. There are way more than 2 million desktops in the world. Did you mean billion? Moreover, most of the apps on your phone are native front

That chart is bogus. There are way more than 2 million desktops in the world. Did you mean billion? Moreover, most of the apps on your phone are native front-ends for web-facing APIs: - Facebook - RSS readers (Pulse, Flipboard) - E-mail - Chat If you think of the web as strictly HTML documents, then yes, usage patterns may be shifting towards native. But, the core-concept of the web is really a global network of interoperable machines that anyone can enhance. It's a world-wide watering hole. If you take this broader view of the web, it's thriving more than ever before. It's a bit alarmist to imply that this network is dying because HTML may be displaced as the primary interface. (Incidentally, the biggest reason this is happening is because Apple's interest is in making proprietary apps awesome and WebKit good-enough. Mozilla, Google, and many other community players are working to bring native-quality APIs to the web to preserve its platform-agnostic nature. As long as Apple dominates developer mindshare, they'll have an uphill battle.)

amasad 13y ago
Yes it's meant to be billion. I'll update the chart. I didn't invent this, it comes from KPCB[1]: http://www.kpcb.com/insights/2012-internet-trends-update http://www.kpcb.com/insights/2012-internet-trends-update [1] http://www.kpcb.com/ http://www.kpcb.com/
- bsimpson 13y ago
  Thanks.
iamwil 13y ago
The power of the web is that there's a single name for every resource in the world, and anyone can link to it. Mobile apps break the second part, which seems inconsequential to those that grew up in it, but it's a large part of why the web has become as ubiquitous as it is, why the web has become as useful as it is, and why the web has the freedom to create is it has become.
general_failure 13y ago
Last para is Total FUD. Why do people who have no actual knowledge feel inclined to comment on things they have no idea about? Have you tried android webview and ios uiwebview? We'll let me tell you - android webview hasn't been updated for 3 years and has no features that you care about. Websockets xhr2, a fast canvas and I could go on. None of this is there. In fact googles webview is the main reason people are writing native apps. Do not get misled by chrome. Chrome and webview are totally different. Uiwebview is actually quite perform ant and modern. The only thing is it has no js jit but you cannot call them out on that when android webview is a joke. Seriously try it before spreading FUD.
- cageface 13y ago
  It's true. You'd expect, given Apple's emphasis on native apps and the importance of tie-in to its ecosystem, that they'd do everything they can to handicap both Safari and UIWebView. But in fact they're both superior to anything Google's providing with the possible exception of very bleeding edge Chrome Beta. Google's neglect of Android's WebView doesn't really jibe with their claim of pushing the web forward.
- zoerb 13y ago
  Also, remember that in the early days of iOS, Apple was pushing developers toward web apps. Support for native development was added in response to developer demand, not because Apple wanted to lock in developers.
- bsimpson 13y ago
  It's what I've been told by numerous non-Apple (and/or former-Apple) WebKit contributors.
  - general_failure 13y ago
    Now you know better :) Also, don't take my word for it, try it out yourself.

amasad 13y ago

Yes it's meant to be billion. I'll update the chart. I didn't invent this, it comes from KPCB[1]: http://www.kpcb.com/insights/2012-internet-trends-update http://www.kpcb.com/insights/2012-internet-trends-update [1] http://www.kpcb.com/ http://www.kpcb.com/

bsimpson 13y ago
Thanks.

iamwil 13y ago

The power of the web is that there's a single name for every resource in the world, and anyone can link to it. Mobile apps break the second part, which seems inconsequential to those that grew up in it, but it's a large part of why the web has become as ubiquitous as it is, why the web has become as useful as it is, and why the web has the freedom to create is it has become.

general_failure 13y ago

Last para is Total FUD. Why do people who have no actual knowledge feel inclined to comment on things they have no idea about? Have you tried android webview and ios uiwebview? We'll let me tell you - android webview hasn't been updated for 3 years and has no features that you care about. Websockets xhr2, a fast canvas and I could go on. None of this is there. In fact googles webview is the main reason people are writing native apps. Do not get misled by chrome. Chrome and webview are totally different. Uiwebview is actually quite perform ant and modern. The only thing is it has no js jit but you cannot call them out on that when android webview is a joke. Seriously try it before spreading FUD.

cageface 13y ago
It's true. You'd expect, given Apple's emphasis on native apps and the importance of tie-in to its ecosystem, that they'd do everything they can to handicap both Safari and UIWebView. But in fact they're both superior to anything Google's providing with the possible exception of very bleeding edge Chrome Beta. Google's neglect of Android's WebView doesn't really jibe with their claim of pushing the web forward.
zoerb 13y ago
Also, remember that in the early days of iOS, Apple was pushing developers toward web apps. Support for native development was added in response to developer demand, not because Apple wanted to lock in developers.
bsimpson 13y ago
It's what I've been told by numerous non-Apple (and/or former-Apple) WebKit contributors.
- general_failure 13y ago
  Now you know better :) Also, don't take my word for it, try it out yourself.