I don't think it's more skill, just different. I currently work on a DAW. I left for a while because I thought my skills were becoming obsolete and I needed to get in on this 'web' thing. I was useless and I lasted 9 months. To just jump in and learn html/js/css + everything else you need to be a web developer is a huge task. And a lot of stuff just doesn't work -- and the only way to know how to get it to work is experience.

By contrast I think C++ and realtime audio programming is simple, but I've slowly picked it up over almost 20 years. I retreated back to desktop apps and firmware. I'll take another stab at learning web technologies, but not at a startup where I need to deliver asap and learn at the same time.

As much as developers hate sandboxes, the lack of one (except Mac OS until recently) is why I think desktop is failing. Users just don't feel safe installing random software like they do going to websites or installing mobile apps. Users have been conditioned to only install software from sources they trust, and they trust no one.

If I post a link to my new web project, most people will click on it. If I post a link to an .exe almost nobody will download it. I think that's the main issue killing the desktop. Big downloads, compatibility issues, slow installs are also an issue, but I think they are secondary.