Desktop apps vs. web applications (was Re: What a response!)

Ruby
1

On 12/5/05, Jules [email protected] [email protected] wrote:

it locally.
So here’s a somewhat related question:

When should an application be a web application (that could be
distributed via the above method) and when should an application be a
normal desktop application?

2

Graphical intensity & Privacy/Location of data are the questions that
usually make the decision for me.

j.

On 12/5/05, Joe Van D. [email protected] wrote:

You can wrap your application in one .exe (you don’t even need a
separate database!). The email it to someone and that person can launch
it locally.

So here’s a somewhat related question:

When should an application be a web application (that could be
distributed via the above method) and when should an application be a
normal desktop application?

–
“Remember. Understand. Believe. Yield! → http://ruby-lang.org”

Jeff W.

3

When should an application be a web application (that could be
distributed via the above method) and when should an application be a
normal desktop application?

Excellent question. I’ll be interested to see the responses.
Thanks
Daab

4

On Tue, Dec 06, 2005 at 03:05:52AM +0900, Joe Van D. wrote:

When should an application be a web application (that could be
distributed via the above method) and when should an application be a
normal desktop application?

Unless you’re doing something very bandwidth intensive (graphics
editing, 3d gaming) it should be a web application.

Web apps are more standardized, cross-platform, and IMHO much easier
to write and maintain. Why would you want to write code for an
event-driven UI when the Firefox people have already done it for you?
AJAX just seals the deal. There’s some incredibly rich functionality
available in modern browsers.

There’s nothing for users to install, upgrade, configure, or break.
And you’re much more flexible when new feature requests appear. Want
to extend your application to mobile phones? No problem. Need to
switch from windows to mac? Zero effort.

Even for private things, just make a web server listen on localhost.
Don’t write a GUI to configure your new-and-cool daemon – just embed
a webserver and point people to 127.0.0.1:123. It’s so much easier.

Besides, once everything’s a web app, having a monopoly on the desktop
won’t matter anymore, and the Open Source takeover will be complete.
Muah ha ha!

regards,
Ed