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Comment by matt_heimer | Hacker News Reader

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matt_heimer

Not really a compelling argument. If I invert your benefits they still read like benefits.

Mobile Apps are the future because:

- Mobile apps allow you to keep the version you have, updating when desired

- Mobile apps are stored on your device

- Mobile apps are customized to your device and can take advantage of all its features

- Mobile devices provide a browser for things that shouldn't ever be an app to being with.

I hope web based apps are the future but I think it will be for different reasons.

- The promise of Java, they won't be written in Java but just like Java the idea that you can write portable applications is very powerful

- Not being locked into an app store. App stores will still exist for discovery and monetization reasons but being able to run an app by visiting a URL will allow for all the things that companies like Apple won't allow.

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> Mobile apps allow you to keep the version you have, updating when desired

Do you really believe that the user is actually in control of the upgrades ?

> Mobile apps are customized to your device and can take advantage of all its features

Having to code specifically for each device sounds like a benefit to you ?

Do you really believe that the user is actually in control of the upgrades ?

On iOS at least, it's (by default) a manual process to update an app.

Having to code specifically for each device sounds like a benefit to you ?

Benefit for the user, yes.

> Benefit for the user, yes.

I would agree with that if everyone (companies) actually did that, but they don't. Often they pick the popular platforms, or choose frameworks that allow for a single codebase and output a often subpar UX App, or just don't make the app to begin with.

Making it harder for a company to give the end user the product, even if an arguably better product, is not always a win for the user.

I see your point, but were I making a decision about what platform to use to build a mobile presence, I would focus on what provided the best user experience. Not what gave me the greatest initial coverage.

If you can be successful on iOS or Android first, you'll probably then have the resources available to develop for the other platforms as well.

I'm still using an older version of Google Maps because I hate the new version.

To me as a developer? It isn't, it is a pain in the ass. But to a user if your web app doesn't support random cool hardware feature of their phone they'd rather have a native version (see samsung s-pen stuff)

Packaged apps can be stored on your device for offline use. They actually represent all that is good about both realms.

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