My guess: 1) Microsoft made Windows too damn fragile. Installing the app means that setup.exe will write all over the hard drive, and uninstall was never easy.

My guess: 1) Microsoft made Windows too damn fragile. Installing the app means that setup.exe will write all over the hard drive, and uninstall was never easy. Web didn't required install/uninstall. 2) Windows programs, with a few notable exceptions, were/are butt ugly. Web started as an ugly abomination, but designers catched up quickly. Web applications, even then, on slow connections, often provided more pleasant experience. Web app on mobile today doesn't have the same luxury - native app install/uninstall is painless; native applications are better integrated and most of the time handle unstable connections better; good native apps are beautiful and often have superior usability compared to web apps.