Comments on: The Evolution of Web Applications http://blog.digitalbackcountry.com/2007/01/the-evolution-of-web-applications/ Just an average guy trying to drink above average beer. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:53:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ryan Stewart http://blog.digitalbackcountry.com/2007/01/the-evolution-of-web-applications/comment-page-1/#comment-1666 Ryan Stewart Thu, 01 Feb 2007 19:58:07 +0000 http://blog.digitalbackcountry.com/?p=632#comment-1666 Hey Amol, I absolutely hear you and in the near term it seems like there is a trade off between "richness" and "ease of accessibility". I think that gap is closing. My hope is that we see applications like Writely become very rich and then release an Apollo client as part of a monthly fee. That seems like a win-win for everyone. Hey Amol,

I absolutely hear you and in the near term it seems like there is a trade off between “richness” and “ease of accessibility”. I think that gap is closing. My hope is that we see applications like Writely become very rich and then release an Apollo client as part of a monthly fee. That seems like a win-win for everyone.

]]> By: Amol Dalvi http://blog.digitalbackcountry.com/2007/01/the-evolution-of-web-applications/comment-page-1/#comment-1665 Amol Dalvi Thu, 01 Feb 2007 04:53:26 +0000 http://blog.digitalbackcountry.com/?p=632#comment-1665 Ryan - You post is timely for me. I am about to leave my current job and start my own business. Unfortunately I have to turn in my laptop. This has made me think about what data I have on my laptop and what applications I have on my laptop. Data is one thing, but I will now have to buy my own licenses of Word, Excel, PPT, Visio, DVD players, HP Photosmart and other programs I am sure I am forgetting. It has really made me look at the various rich web applications online. I would rather pay a monthly fee to such sites as BackPackIt.com (To Dos, Notes, Calendar) and use Google's Writely.com and such applications. And I am seriously considering buying one of those Verizon or Sprint cards that lets you connect to the Internet just about anywhere. One thing I do worry about is this - applications such as Writely.com are just not feature rich enough. I am afraid I will miss my usual shortcut commands in Word and Excel too much in the long run. Well, I am still thinking through this and haven't made a decision either way just yet. Ryan – You post is timely for me. I am about to leave my current job and start my own business. Unfortunately I have to turn in my laptop. This has made me think about what data I have on my laptop and what applications I have on my laptop. Data is one thing, but I will now have to buy my own licenses of Word, Excel, PPT, Visio, DVD players, HP Photosmart and other programs I am sure I am forgetting. It has really made me look at the various rich web applications online. I would rather pay a monthly fee to such sites as BackPackIt.com (To Dos, Notes, Calendar) and use Google’s Writely.com and such applications. And I am seriously considering buying one of those Verizon or Sprint cards that lets you connect to the Internet just about anywhere.

One thing I do worry about is this – applications such as Writely.com are just not feature rich enough. I am afraid I will miss my usual shortcut commands in Word and Excel too much in the long run.

Well, I am still thinking through this and haven’t made a decision either way just yet.

]]> By: Ryan Stewart http://blog.digitalbackcountry.com/2007/01/the-evolution-of-web-applications/comment-page-1/#comment-1664 Ryan Stewart Tue, 30 Jan 2007 07:51:41 +0000 http://blog.digitalbackcountry.com/?p=632#comment-1664 @Kevin - you're right, the desktop is still where a ton of action is. And that's why it's good to see more development around it. @Toby - I think desktop RIAs are going to play a huge part down the road as you said. One of the reasons I liked your post was because I think you nailed how the excitement is all coming together to create real solutions. @Doug - I think (hope) that's what Apollo will do. You can't replace web applications, but I hope we can "bring them down" to the desktop and interact with them in a more advanced way. I'm not sure that's entirely possible, but I think Apollo gives a mechanism with which to do that. It depends on the developer I suppose. @Kevin – you’re right, the desktop is still where a ton of action is. And that’s why it’s good to see more development around it.

@Toby – I think desktop RIAs are going to play a huge part down the road as you said. One of the reasons I liked your post was because I think you nailed how the excitement is all coming together to create real solutions.

@Doug – I think (hope) that’s what Apollo will do. You can’t replace web applications, but I hope we can “bring them down” to the desktop and interact with them in a more advanced way. I’m not sure that’s entirely possible, but I think Apollo gives a mechanism with which to do that. It depends on the developer I suppose.

]]> By: doug http://blog.digitalbackcountry.com/2007/01/the-evolution-of-web-applications/comment-page-1/#comment-1663 doug Tue, 30 Jan 2007 03:00:21 +0000 http://blog.digitalbackcountry.com/?p=632#comment-1663 Hi Ryan, Thought provoking post! I found that in many cases related to the applications which I use on a daily basis, it is easy to make a distinction between Rich Internet Applications and Internet or Desktop applications. However, it seems that a blurry line exists between the desktop applications which I use and Internet applications as in most cases data and information is being ported between the two. I would like to see an increased continuity between Internet and Desktop in that synchronization of data and information between the two currently leaves allot to be desired. I find that I prefer a separation of Internet and desktop-based applications because of the complexity and unreliability of current synchronization processes. For this reason I rarely if ever work off-line and only when I have completed a process do I bring down data and information locally or vis versa. I guess it would be a dreamy thing to have a dynamic process of desktop/internet synchronized applications. D. Hi Ryan,
Thought provoking post!
I found that in many cases related to the applications which I use on a daily basis, it is easy to make a distinction between Rich Internet Applications and Internet or Desktop applications. However, it seems that a blurry line exists between the desktop applications which I use and Internet applications as in most cases data and information is being ported between the two. I would like to see an increased continuity between Internet and Desktop in that synchronization of data and information between the two currently leaves allot to be desired. I find that I prefer a separation of Internet and desktop-based applications because of the complexity and unreliability of current synchronization processes. For this reason I rarely if ever work off-line and only when I have completed a process do I bring down data and information locally or vis versa. I guess it would be a dreamy thing to have a dynamic process of desktop/internet synchronized applications.
D.

]]> By: Toby http://blog.digitalbackcountry.com/2007/01/the-evolution-of-web-applications/comment-page-1/#comment-1662 Toby Mon, 29 Jan 2007 22:23:03 +0000 http://blog.digitalbackcountry.com/?p=632#comment-1662 Hey ryan, i totally agree with you about the "power users" being the ones to utilize a desktop based RIA as of right now. But what do you see in the near future as Mac OS X and Windows Vista create operating systems that are entrenched in the internet. Look at what widgets that come with OS X have done for the common user. People are starting to use desktop RIA's without even knowing the capabilities of them. I'm starting to see a trend with the operating systems and apps that common apps will start heading down the RIA path and making desktop RIA's more common. Remember that it was once only the "power user" that used the "Internet" back in the day. I would love to see if you think it will become a common place to see most applications on a computer running as an RIA. Oh, and I read your guest article at TechCrunch, quite good! Toby - Rock and Roll SEO Hey ryan, i totally agree with you about the “power users” being the ones to utilize a desktop based RIA as of right now. But what do you see in the near future as Mac OS X and Windows Vista create operating systems that are entrenched in the internet. Look at what widgets that come with OS X have done for the common user. People are starting to use desktop RIA’s without even knowing the capabilities of them.

I’m starting to see a trend with the operating systems and apps that common apps will start heading down the RIA path and making desktop RIA’s more common. Remember that it was once only the “power user” that used the “Internet” back in the day. I would love to see if you think it will become a common place to see most applications on a computer running as an RIA.

Oh, and I read your guest article at TechCrunch, quite good!

Toby – Rock and Roll SEO

]]> By: Kevin Hoyt http://blog.digitalbackcountry.com/2007/01/the-evolution-of-web-applications/comment-page-1/#comment-1661 Kevin Hoyt Mon, 29 Jan 2007 20:07:26 +0000 http://blog.digitalbackcountry.com/?p=632#comment-1661 Okay ... I counted and I use three web applications consistently. Two of those however have desktop parts in some fashion or another. Two of them also support mobile interfaces. When I boil it down, it seems that I only use those web applications which give me access to my data when I want it, and how I want it ... And I seem to prefer that there's some value add over just moving to the web. But! I use no fewer than six desktop applications daily, or as consistently as I use the aforementioned web applications. I'm particularly specialized, so I suspect that many people use far more than just six desktop applications on a regular basis. Perhaps I'm fanning the flames with this statement, but I think it's important to remember that the desktop is still the primary destination for most people. It's death, like COBOL, has been greatly exaggerated. Both (and many others) are still very much alive and well. Okay …

I counted and I use three web applications consistently. Two of those however have desktop parts in some fashion or another. Two of them also support mobile interfaces. When I boil it down, it seems that I only use those web applications which give me access to my data when I want it, and how I want it … And I seem to prefer that there’s some value add over just moving to the web.

But!

I use no fewer than six desktop applications daily, or as consistently as I use the aforementioned web applications. I’m particularly specialized, so I suspect that many people use far more than just six desktop applications on a regular basis. Perhaps I’m fanning the flames with this statement, but I think it’s important to remember that the desktop is still the primary destination for most people. It’s death, like COBOL, has been greatly exaggerated. Both (and many others) are still very much alive and well.

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