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It amazes me how this is always overlooked, why are web apps used over desktop apps? Because it's easier for the end user. Have you ever tried to get a user t
by nmjohn 12y ago
It amazes me how this is always overlooked, why are web apps used over desktop apps?
Because it's easier for the end user.
Have you ever tried to get a user to install a piece of software? It is hard. They don't know what is going on, is it going to harm their system, is it a virus? What are these terms I'm agreeing to? Whereas a web app they go to the site and BOOM it's done, loaded, and ready to go.
Having to download and install a program makes a lot of things a non-starter for many users. A lot of us struggle with that concept due to a lack of empathy for a general computer user. I have downloaded three programs today alone and didn't think twice about it. But that is just not going to happen for the vast majority of users, and is one of the areas where we (software developers in general) have a hard time empathizing with our end users on.
- JoeAltmaier 12y agoSure would be better if desktop apps could be sandboxed like web apps. Installation would be less risky and less questions asked.
- nmjohn 12y agoThere are programs that do this, such as sandboxie [0], or even a VM. But none of them are very user friendly to computer novices. [0]: http://www.sandboxie.com/ http://www.sandboxie.com/
- frik 12y agoThe Windows world needs an standard application sandbox for Win32 applications like iOS, Android, Linux (docker) and FreeBSD (jail). WinNT has the functionality inbuilt since NT 3.1 but the Win32 shell doesn't expose it.
- kalleboo 12y agoMac OS X has done this since the Mac App Store was introduced. Doesn't Windows 8 do it for Market apps?
- rimantas 12y agoYou know, once GMail was the web app. Now I don't use it in the web form anymore, but through native clients.
- deleted 12y ago[deleted]