Of Web Apps and HTML Apps : Jonathan Stark
A real-world anecdote from Jonathan illustrates some of the misconceptions around using HTML instead of going native. A lot of people don’t realise that web apps can store data offline.
Startups and Shit, HTML-first
The Android vs. iOS debate is one hinges around whether you think it makes more sense to target a (perceived) larger market, or target one that the technorati favor. But why choose? Building a good responsive web app has a series of benefits, the primary one being that you target users on every platform with one app. Every user. Every platform. All the time. Release whenever you want. A/B test with ease. Go, go go.
Related links
HTML5 Rocks - HTML5 vs Native: The Mobile App Debate
An even-handed weighing up of the pros and cons of native and web app development for mobile.
Geek Ninja Battle Night | Stuff and Nonsense
Andy hammers home the benefit of a long-term format like HTML compared to the brittle, fleeting shininess of an ephemeral platform-specific app.
trot
Working on this project is great but ten minutes into it and I already miss the resilience of the web. I miss how you have to really fuck things up to make a browser yell at you or implode.
Daring Fireball: One Bit of Anecdata That the Web Is Languishing Vis-à-Vis Native Mobile Apps
I have to agree with John here:
There’s absolutely no reason the mobile web experience shouldn’t be fast, reliable, well-designed, and keep you logged in. If one of the two should suck, it should be the app that sucks and the website that works well. You shouldn’t be expected to carry around a bundle of software from your utility company in your pocket. But it’s the other way around.
There’s absolutely no technical reason why it should be this way around. This is a cultural problem with “modern front-end web development”.
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The web on mobile
Technically, websites can do just about anything that native apps can do. And yet the actual experience of using the web on mobile is worse than ever.
Greater expectations
Some anecdata about installation expectations for progressive web apps.
Progressing the web
Don’t let the name distract you—progressive web apps are for everyone.