Browser-based software ported from desktop software is silly.
commentary, I just don't get it, Web 2.0 September 9th, 2007
Adobe just announced Photoshop Express. Well I guess they announced it a while back, but they just previewed it. What’s the point?
To me, traditional desktop software for desktop tasks works great. Desktop software for things like spreadsheets and photo editing is better.
So, what’s the allure of this watered down browser-based software? Why are all these startups spending all this time to port non-broken software to browsers, which I find to be more limiting? Is it because Google might buy it, or because people find it useful or in some way better?
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September 10th, 2007 at 10:35 am
Blame the iPhone, I would give credit to it though, I think the iPhone will make a lot of websites more compatible with Safari. Rogers website is totally unusable and Googles Spreadsheets and calendars etc pop up with a box saying it’s not compatible yet (Even though everything about Google is taken from the Mac, they seem to be putting off giving credit where credit is due.).
September 11th, 2007 at 1:43 am
I think if the browser-based software gives the ability to save online, it will be an advantage for the users of the browser-based software.
Armand Rousso
http://internet.armandrousso.boz/
September 27th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
Part of the point may be that browser-based software (at least in this example) is free.
A more general advantage of thin apps is that they are accessible from anywhere, not only your own physical PC. Distribution/installation is easier, too, and in most cases, they’re automatically cross-OS.
That should be enough for a good sized market share.
October 5th, 2007 at 12:25 am
The biggest reason to provide internet based software is to allow users access remotely. We use a lot of webbased applications all the time because the benefits outweigh the loss of functionality etc.
Example: hotmail, yahoo mail, gmail… etc… these were applications that were slower and less functional than desktop version initially. But they also provided tasks that require internet access.
Well, these days people like their work to be mobile and most of it requires an internet connection. Some doesn’t, but then what are you going to do with that work when you are finished? Leave it on your computer? Maybe… but perhaps you’ll upload it to share?