Comments for Poll: Do you prefer desktop or browser apps?

Poll: Do you prefer desktop or browser apps?

2006-09-08T15:01:13Z

Given that our post on Webified Desktop Apps vs Browser-based Apps has generated so much discussion, we thought we'd ask you directly which one you prefer? Although almost everybody uses both types of apps, most people seem to have a preference for using one or the other. Tell us what you think, by clicking one of the options below and then the 'Vote' button.

Many thanks to Infacta for the use of their upcoming product (currently in private beta) Poll Daddy. I'm basically testing it out here for the first time publicly!

Comment from Mike Rundle on 2006-09-08

2006-09-08T15:35:07Z

I have no clue who could possibly prefer web-based applications over ones running on your own computer. Native code, faster rendering, more memory, more bandwidth... how could "oooh, how neat, it works in my browser" compete with any of those?

Comment from hombrelobo on 2006-09-08

2006-09-08T15:43:13Z

Well, I use five different computers on any given day, four windows XP and one Mac. You tell me how on earth am I going to enjoy apps running on any one of those PCs

Comment from adam on 2006-09-08

2006-09-08T15:44:56Z

Completely depends on the situation....I would always want my RSS reader to be web-based so that I can access my feeds anywhere. And email is coming closer and closer to something that most people won't need on their desktop. But any apps that require heavy duty processesing will always (always = next 5 years) have a home offline.

Comment from Richard MacManus on 2006-09-08

2006-09-08T15:44:57Z

p.s. a "see current results" link is coming very soon folks! :-)

Comment from Jackson on 2006-09-08

2006-09-08T15:54:52Z

Adam, I have been using laptops for 7 years and I use almost no web-based apps regularly. I blog from MarsEdit, read feeds from NetNewsWire, email with Mac Mail, Photos via iPhoto (integrated with Flickr).

I can search my email FAST. I can use all of my pictures in various sizes and pull them into photoshop without internet access. etc, etc.

My computer is where I keep my apps and my data. The web is where I share it.

Comment from Jackson on 2006-09-08

2006-09-08T15:56:36Z

As far as the poll software goes...

It doesn't display anything in NetNewsWire. Maybe there should be a noscript or something outside of the Javascript that identifies the poll.

Once I have voted it should remember that and not display the poll again, only showing the results on subsequent page loads.

Comment from Jonathan on 2006-09-08

2006-09-08T16:05:14Z

Hi Jackson - a noscript element has just been added to it - we will be rolling a new version of it next week which will deal with the results.

Thanks for your feedback!

Comment from Steve Swedler on 2006-09-08

2006-09-08T16:27:23Z

I think this question is still a bit premature. Web apps have some very interesting advantages, not the least of which is agility. When it comes to regular updating and feature tweaking, Web-based apps are going to be able to release more quickly. Where desktop apps tend to take longer to get released.

Another advantage of Web-based apps is version control. When you have a desktop app that is used by many people version control is much more difficult than a web-based app. This is probably the major contributor to the longer release time for new features

However, I agree that processor-intensive and highly interactive apps are more user-friendly and responsive on the desktop. I don‚Äôt look forward to the online version of Photoshop. ;)

Basically what I'm saying is that certain apps (like productivity apps) are better suited for the Web, where production apps still have their place on my hard drive. So choosing between them is a little like choosing between my children, or maybe more like choosing between my cars, or maybe more like choosing room to take a nap in.

Comment from Adam on 2006-09-08

2006-09-08T19:57:00Z

I would also come in on the side of web-based tools for everything short of the power apps like Photoshop and video editing apps.

I use Gmail, Writely, RememberTheMilk (project manager) all day. My power apps are only used once a day or so.

Comment from Marco Mugnatto on 2006-09-08

2006-09-08T20:57:18Z

What a big surprise! 88% preffer browser app (my vote too)! People are changing their minds very quick. 1 year from now I'm sure the results would have been the oposite.

Come on, Ebrahim. If it were about speed then the DOS would never have been replaced by Windows, wich was a lot slower than equivalent DOS apps in 1990s. At that time I heard the same kind of arguments about transitioning from DOS to Windows. What is DOS today?

And you make mention of some Microsoft Webfied apps. MS really doesn't want that the packaged software go away this fast... but if MS doesn't hurry, small startups will surpass them like they did with IBM before...

Marco from Brazil. Sorry about english mistakes...

Comment from hombrelobo on 2006-09-08

2006-09-08T21:04:21Z

Just a comment.
I used to do video editing using an app in a windows machine (actually, using Windows Movie Maker), until I started doing videos from my cell phone. And WMM doesn't accept editing 3GP files. Actually, I couldn't find any stand alone app able to handle them properly. But someone pointed me to http://eyespot.com, and it works great. You can see the results (in Spanish, sorry), here: http://hombrelobotv.com/

The last one is done with a cell phone and a browser only ....

Comment from Richard MacManus on 2006-09-08

2006-09-08T23:30:02Z

As of now, after 6741 votes, Browser-based Apps has 84% and Webified Desktop Apps 16%. I'm surprised at that, I thought it'd be closer (ref Mike's comment at the start). But I must admit I voted browser-based myself.

Comment from Yeah!! on 2006-09-08

2006-09-09T00:57:42Z

88% of people who are already probably a little pro-web2.0.. (based on the places pointing people to this poll) vote for web 2.0 stuff... ;)

Let's not go thinking this is indicative of the whole tech industry, because it simply isn't.

Comment from Richard MacManus on 2006-09-08

2006-09-09T06:03:20Z

Definitely "Yeah!!" (#13), but even so a lot of people love their desktop apps...

It's getting closer:
Browser-based Apps 65% (7231 votes)
Webified Desktop Apps 35% (3851 votes)
Total voters so far: 11082

Comment from Evan on 2006-09-09

2006-09-09T20:25:50Z

What we need is some sort of standard to allow any web based RSS service to synch with desktop software, other than that, Web based all the way. Less junk on your PC.

Comment from Andrew on 2006-09-09

2006-09-09T20:44:05Z

My problem with web apps is what's the exit strategy for these companies? In a couple of years (or maybe months) time when all the hype has died down and the two guys who wrote the web app I've been using to manage my affairs decide they'd rather be doing something else what happens to all my data?

At least when you buy software you can keep running it semi-indefinately. I still go to factories for example where they're running applications on DOS. What happens when Google gets new management in a couple of years and they decide to trim back on the 5000 'beta' web-apps that they're running?

A technically and commercially feasible solution that allows you to purchase perpetual access to these web-apps would be great. For example if rather than renting access to the app I was able to get a copy of the server code to run under my own web-hosting account would to me be a much better solution.

Comment from lusever on 2006-09-09

2006-09-09T20:48:37Z

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Comment from Dave Winer on 2006-09-09

2006-09-10T01:47:11Z

Note there are also browser-based desktop apps. I use them all the time. The server is on my desktop, but the app presents in a browser, using HTML as the user interface.

http://davenet.scripting.com/2001/01/04/desktopWebsites

Comment from Skeptic on 2006-09-09

2006-09-10T02:17:46Z

Maybe if more of the readers of the site represented non-echochamber people, you'd get more accurate data?

Comment from Richard MacManus on 2006-09-09

2006-09-10T03:10:52Z

That's a pretty arrogant thing to say Skeptic. Who are you to judge who reads my site?

Comment from Skeptic on 2006-09-09

2006-09-10T04:23:28Z

Richard,

Start by calming down.

Look, I like your site, and so do tons of other people. But let's not get ahead of ourselves - how many of your ~26000 Feedburner subscribers are folks who do NOT follow Web 2.0 aggressively? Look at your advertisers. Read the comments. C'mon man.

Just like engadget's readers are "folks who like gadgets", yours are "folks who like Web 2.0". This isn't "judgment" - the question I'd ask back is: why are you so defensive about your reader base?

My point was, and remains: you have a poll that caters specifically to those who 100% comprehend the question. It's not like you are exactly reaching out to the mass populace of MS Office users and finding out how many of them want to use web-based tools vs using a web-integrated Web or Excel... You didn't even have an option for "I don't understand the difference", and I promise, the vast majority of office workers would not be able to comprehend the question that over 12000 people (at the time of me writing) voiced an opinion on here.

I have to be honest, I'm stunned you would write such a comment back!
-s

Comment from Richard MacManus on 2006-09-09

2006-09-10T04:49:07Z

Alright, it's a Sunday afternoon where I am and I'm not about to ruin my weekend by entering into a debate. I like and respect your opinion Skeptic, and thank you for clarifying your pov in the second comment. To be honest I still think your first comment came off arrogantly. For a start I don't consider my readers to be "echochamber people". If it's defensive for me to say that, then so be it. I write about web technology and I like to think it is pretty objective, even if probably biased towards web-based apps (what isn't biased these days?). So in your first comment, when you said the poll wasn't "accurate" because you think R/W readers are echochamber people - well I took offense at that. But you did clarify in your second comment, so thanks...

Comment from Skeptic on 2006-09-09

2006-09-10T04:57:45Z

Anytime - it may not seem this way, but I never aim to offend, and I appreciate your response.

[insert a virtual hug and sloppy kiss]

;)

Comment from Moskit on 2006-09-10

2006-09-10T08:28:26Z

lusever
Heavy apps must work in a server-side memory, so they never gonna "eat" your browser memory.
And more, server-side apps can be faster and are accessible from anywhere and from any computer including thin clients.
Andrew
It seems that the S3 service from Amason addresses this problem exactly: aws.amazon.com/s3. I mean companies that want their customers to be assured their data security could use services like this, couldn't they?
Nevertheless buying apps to run on your own server too could be the solution under some circumstances. Obviously this solution couldn't be acceptable for every possible customer.

Comment from Richard MacManus on 2006-09-10

2006-09-10T10:55:31Z

No worries Skeptic - virtual hug and kiss right back at ya (no tongues though, ay?) :-)

Comment from Advanced Uninstaller on 2006-09-10

2006-09-10T19:18:25Z

"Browser apps" vs. "Webified desktop apps"?! I know what a browser app is, but what is a webified desktop app?

Why isn't there an option for normal, regular desktop apps?

Comment from Richard MacManus on 2006-09-10

2006-09-10T20:21:06Z

AU, read Webified Desktop Apps vs Browser-based Apps. It's basically just a desktop app that connects to the Internet. Like a desktop RSS Reader, for example.

Comment from james on 2006-09-10

2006-09-11T04:24:23Z

You'd have to be an idiot to go with web browser apps. The first time you lose your ass because of a crash, or because you clicked in an email and it opens a URL on top of your work, you'll realize what I'm talking about.

Comment from Moskit on 2006-09-11

2006-09-12T03:48:06Z

>The first time you lose your ass because of a crash

Yesterday our company lost some very important accounting data because of hard disk crash. Yes, that data are taken from our highly reliable and highly redundant server storage and must've been saved there again after work is done. So it works just like webified app :). Working with data stored on the server obviosly is more reliable until you turn your desktop to storage server with all that redundancy features.

>because you clicked in an email and it opens a URL on top of your work

The recipe is pretty simple: don't use IE :)

Comment from Richard MacManus on 2006-09-11

2006-09-12T03:53:45Z

I agree with Moskit, a desktop-based service is just as prone to crashes as a web-based server app. That argument by James doesn't wash with me...