Poll: Web Applications Versus The Desktop

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By Steve Spalding May 29th, 2008
Under: Polls

Computer Room

Web applications are taking the place of traditional desktop software for many of us. A big question is whether they should.

Do we really need a web version of every piece of enterprise software in existence?

Is there a place for desktop apps? Where do web apps fit into the mix? Leave us your thoughts.

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Christian 5 months ago 1 point
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The only web-based applications I use are ones that are integrated inside something else that I already use.

Examples:

1) Event management and messaging inside of Facebook that I already used because I signed up to it once upon a time thinking it would be a good way to meet girls (alas poor misguided fool!), and kept using to keep in touch with people.

2) Calendar, Reader, Blogspot, and the messenging thing, all of which are a quick click away from Gmail which I've used for what must now be a few years since I discovered it was better than Hotmail. (to be honest though, I channel Google Messenger through Pidgin, so that may not count)

Also, about both of these things, they are FREE. This is the major selling point of the webbased applications that I use, though there may also be a psychological laziness thing behind the attractiveness of using things that I can get to through my web-browser (Firefox!) rather than tabbing out and opening a separate application that may take an agonizing two minutes longer to load.

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http://portarthur.blogspot.com/

sbspalding 5 months ago 1 point
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I think price might be -the- major selling point for web applications.

We're willing to put up with the lack of features and the weak integration of elements common in traditional desktop applications because web applications are wonderfully free.

Ha, I use way more web applications than I should but I agree that the most useful ones are the ones tightly integrated into pre-existing platforms.

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Rick 5 months ago 1 point
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Cloud computing, isn't that what this is called? There is just too much latency on the internet for software to completely move off the desktop. Web apps are great for stuff like blogging, email, and other things that don't require instantaneous response. Even a 1/4 second of latency can be a productivity killer if you experience it often.

Cloud computing is what flying automobiles were back 50 years ago: a pipe dream.

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http://internetsearchfacts.com

Svetlana Gladkova 5 months ago 1 point
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Voted for tools to be used as for me many of the web apps I use are not a necessary evil - they actually help when I need to work and collaborate on something within the team located all around the world.

But the irony I've recently noticed is that early adopters tend to use web apps much heavier when they have some desktop clients (take Twitter - without Twhirl and other clients it would have seen much less messages flowing around). And for some reason we think that early adopters want to move everything online!

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John 5 months ago 1 point
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I am old, and grumpy enough to prefer to resist change for changes sake. I avoid web-based programs as they tend to change without notice (or control - did I mention I am a control freak?) They are therefore unstable as a part of life that can be relied upon. My wife, however totally disagrees with me on this, and enjoys the convenience of continually improved programs etc.

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http://bloggerjohn.bravejournal.com/

tv bracket 5 months ago 1 point
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Maybe I am too old school, but I prefer my apps right on my computer. Though when I sit here and really try and think of why that is I can't come up with anything better than, that is what I am used to.

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http://www.dekomount.co.uk/

Spyware Guy 5 months ago 1 point
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Yeah, I'm with you man. I don't like web apps like I do stuff on my local machine.

Maybe it relates to being a control freak, I dunno, but I like knowing where the files are and what's going on with them.

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http://www.freespywareremoval.org/

nickschmidt 5 months ago 1 point
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Well, in order to use Web applications you need: 1. a computer/desktop/laptop 2. internet.

And sometimes you have to downloaded software for the web application. You use both the internet & desktop.

However, I do like web apps more because I could go to a friends computer or any computer and login to my own web apps and not have to take space up on their computer. Web apps are a lot more accessible.

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TheVixy 5 months ago 1 point
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my social life versus my work life? most web applications are social media geared i use ustream.tv to communicate with friends not fellow co-workers. i do not trust web applications yet with work or even school

but the need to collaborate with co-workers that don't share the same breathing space as you do could drive web applications like Google docs to more mainstream use of web applications

how much is our social networks worth towards the pushing the envelope? apparently a lot.

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http://twitter.com/thevixy

Greg Hollingsworth 5 months ago 1 point
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I think it's all about balance. There are several apps that I use that are exclusively web-based, and many that are purely desktop.

However, there are also a number of desktop applications I use for contributing to web-based applications. Twhirl, Pownce, Evernote, Dropbox, etc... make it much easier to utilize web-based communities. These hybrid apps may be the new wave, allowing their users more control over their direct interaction with a web app.

Both have advantages and disadvantages, i think it is inevitable that there will be more web apps, but at the same time, I think synchronization between web and desktop will be the prevailing path in all of this.

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Marc Klein 5 months ago 1 point
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What I think that people still prefer desktop applications. It is due to this fact that web application cost to people whereas desktop applications are easily available.

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http://www.ratesurfer.com/

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