Comment by bArray

Comment by bArray 21 hours ago

10 replies

And if you find you need more features than that - just build an app, don't make the web browser into some overly bloated app!

mikepurvis 21 hours ago

But most "apps" are just webviews running overcomplicated websites in them, many of which are using all the crazy features that the GP post wants to strip out.

bogdan 21 hours ago

Then you have to deal with os compatibility. That's the main selling point of the Web, it works everywhere.

  • christophilus 21 hours ago

    And, I don't have to run a binary to try your product. The web has a lot of flaws, but it's a good way to deliver properly sandboxed applications with low hassle on the part of the user. I've built my fair share of native vs web apps, and I vastly prefer working on web apps. As a user, I vastly prefer web apps for most things. Not all things, but most. No, I don't want to install your crappy app on my computer and risk you doing something irresponsible. I'll keep you sandboxed in a browser tab that I can easily "uninstall" by closing.

    • zppln 20 hours ago

      I can't think of a single thing where I prefer a web app over a native alternative, unless it's for one-off use.

      • JoshTriplett 13 hours ago

        I will pick a web app over a proprietary "native" app every time. That way, it can stay in a sandbox where it belongs. Discord, Zoom, Meet, Trello, YouTube, and various others, all stay in sandboxed browser tabs.

      • nozzlegear 20 hours ago

        I have several web apps installed over the native alternatives. Discord is the most prominent one; I've found their native app has been getting shittier by the day over recent months, while the web app remains as snappy as any Safari page. Plus I can run an adblocker and other extensions in the web app which improve the experience.

      • wiseowise 19 hours ago

        Most of the “apps” are 200 MB native monstrosities that could be served by 20 kb of JS.

  • bigstrat2003 11 hours ago

    Well worth it. Even the very best web apps struggle to be as good as a decent native app, let alone mediocre web apps. The native operating system blows the web out of the water as an app platform.

  • thwarted 21 hours ago

    Except when it doesn't because of browser or platform differences/incompatibilities.

    • ameliaquining 20 hours ago

      The portability of the Web is imperfect, but it's not even in the same galaxy as the portability of native app platforms; there's just no comparison.