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Comment by coldtea | Hacker News Reader

>App store friction is a major obstacle. It takes about 6 clicks to install a native app

If I'm at the app's entry in the Store (similar to the navigation I need to do to first visit a web app), I can install an iOS app in 1 click of the Get/Purchase button (plus the thumb touching for authorizing the sale). I'm pretty sure it's the same in Android.

Even better, with the native app I don't have to create an account, re-enter my details and suffer all the BS that I have with web based commercial services. Plus, Apple/Google already have my credit card details.

I also don't have to suffer a lowest common denominator platform, or wait for the the web standards AND the vendor to have new native feature access finally trickle to the phone's JS engine.

>Deciding to install an app is a lot harder than deciding to use a web app.

Committing to a web app (for a user), and monetizing it (for the software author), is much harder -- especially on mobile.

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And don't forget this (ill-conceived, IMO) new feature for Android, which is that you'll be able to run "instant apps" right off the web without installing them first:

http://www.theverge.com/2016/5/18/11703884/android-instant-a...

> App store friction is a major obstacle. It takes about 6 clicks to install a native app

And compare that to web app - on iOS you need to tap Share button, then scroll icons to find "add to home screen", then confirm app's name on the screen. So that's 3 clicks and it's really a bad, non-discoverable UX for installing an app, try explaining this flow to the Average Joe.

>Committing to a web app (for a user), and monetizing it (for the software author), is much harder -- especially on mobile.

Partially agree. Monetizing it is surely a big concern. But creating a web app is far easier than native. Big concern for me is the updates in OS which forces us doing changes and unnecessary wastage of time. Docs are also not proper. But unless you use frameworks like angular, web hardly needs those changes. Now a days I am able to do proper native kind of animations with help of CSS3.

> But creating a web app is far easier than native.

This is not true, and a good starting point for Domain Pissing Match[1]. It could be a good idea not to invite such "discussions" here.

[1] http://wiki.c2.com/?DomainPissingMatch

creating a web app is far easier than native.

Getting started with a web app is easier than native. Delivering something non-trivial that scales, run smoothly, works on all browsers, is secure and is easy to use is as hard as anything else in app development.

That may be your bias. I know a lot of software engineers saying the exact opposite.

Unless you decide not to build a web app at all (and miss out on your single best source of traffic to the app, and the lowest-friction way for users to try the app before downloading), it's not a bias, it's a fact. Opting into native means opting into more work, or opting out of supporting other platforms.

>Unless you decide not to build a web app at all (and miss out on your single best source of traffic to the app

Seemed to work just fine for Instagram -- and lots of other mobile-only or mobile-first apps.

well..if you add up development of a native app for all OS, web can be easier.

Don't forget OS changes can introduce browser changes which can break app functionality in a web app

I hardly seen any OS changes breaking the browser APIs. Infact I don't even remember any such kind of situations.

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