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Web apps.

boyo1991

Android Enthusiast
May 26, 2011
573
106
the internet.
Hey everyone! I feel like web apps are going downhill. Gmail is now accessed totally from a native app, along with others. I'm a web programmer and believe in the cross platform-ability of web apps, but lately I've been in a bit of a depression over this.

What do you guys think? Are web apps like html5 apps being faded out? Not what they once were thought to be?

Thanks for any and all input
 
Hey everyone! I feel like web apps are going downhill. Gmail is now accessed totally from a native app, along with others. I'm a web programmer and believe in the cross platform-ability of web apps, but lately I've been in a bit of a depression over this.

What do you guys think? Are web apps like html5 apps being faded out? Not what they once were thought to be?

Thanks for any and all input

IMO I don't think web apps really went uphill to start with, because you have to be on-line to use them. Web apps was one of the ideas for the original Apple iPhone before Apple introduced the iTunes Appstore. Same with the ill-fated Fusion Garage JooJoo tablet. And now the Google Chromebook laptops, which are useless without an internet connection.

Google Docs is inaccessible to me because of the country I'm in. The nice thing about having something like Gmail as an app rather than just running in the browser, is that I don't have to be on-line to read and reply to my emails. I can just sync it when convenient.

With something like Google Docs as well, or anything in the cloud, one might run into privacy issues with client's confidential information. Data Protection Act, HIPAA compliance etc. And now it seems the US govt. has had access most everything(not just the US) that's stored on-line with this PRISM thing the NSA has apparently been running. I know the Chinese communist govt. has total access to everything that's stored on-line here in the PRC.

In 2008 there was a lot of publicity for an on-line productivity suite called Aviary, which offered audio editing, music editing, graphics design, photo editing etc. all in the browser. They pulled the plug on it last year. So any stuff you were doing on there went bye bye, unless you backed it up locally.
 
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Hmmm... Well I know that I still love my pixlr (the advanced editor). I feel like web apps gained steam for a while. Right around the time everyone was trying to sell cloud space. The other thing is that you must understand what a web app is, technically when you go to phandroid in the browser, or any forum for that matter in the browser, you are technically accessing a web app. Sure html5 apps aren't quite what they were expected to be, but that's not the only kind of web app.
 
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Hmmm... Well I know that I still love my pixlr (the advanced editor).

Pixlr is actually available as an Android and iOS app as well, so you don't have to actually be connected to the internet or upload anything to use it. And the thing is the on-line version Pixlr, like Google Docs, is blocked and censored here in China, and is inaccessible unless one is using a VPN. Which means if anyone comes to the "People's Republic" :rolleyes:, they're not going to be able to edit their photos with the Pixlr web app, unless they've paid for a VPN.

BTW I've seen a lot of frustrated tourists going up the wall, just because they couldn't access Facebook.

Aviary pulled the plug on their web apps, they now do a photo editing app that can be used off-line.

I feel like web apps gained steam for a while. Right around the time everyone was trying to sell cloud space. The other thing is that you must understand what a web app is, technically when you go to phandroid in the browser, or any forum for that matter in the browser, you are technically accessing a web app.

I can understand having to be connected to the internet to read and post on Phandroid or any other forum. But years ago when I was active on usenet(newsgroups), I was using an off-line newsreader, that would download all the posts, I could read and reply to them and then upload my posts in one session when I was next on-line. I used to have a driving job, when there was no mobile data, but I still liked to read and post on newsgroups during the day, when I wasn't on-line. I would upload my posts when I got home.

Sure html5 apps aren't quite what they were expected to be, but that's not the only kind of web app.

Thing is, I don't really want to have to be on-line to do some word processing or make a presentation and store them all with a third party in the cloud. And would be inaccessible if I was on a plane or something. I also don't want whatever third parties and governments having access to all my stuff as well, some of which might be confidential to me.

Baidu offer some on-line web apps, along the similar lines as what Google does, but if you do something that's politically sensitive or undesirable, you might find it will mysteriously disappear, or worse could find yourself in serious trouble.
 
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I really liked that post. The only thing I disagree with is the puxlr app. It does not support the advanced editor in the mobile version. I did download Photoshop touch which imo is better than pixlrs advanced editor anyway, but screen realestate messes with that anyways.

I can understand that being in China makes it very difficult to access certain areas of the internet. This can cause a problem for web apps as well, but the Chinese gov't is surely just as smart to block off line apps as well if they don't find them to their liking correct? Maybe an arrogant comment, I apologize if it came off that way.

I guess the reason I've wanted web apps to work so much is because I've invested years and years into developing for it. (About 10 years..) and would really like for that to be wasted haha. Of course all things come to an end...
 
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