1. soccernamlak's Avatar
    First, misleading title (as pointed out). App Stores are used by every major smartphone OS provider. If the app market were to suddenly run dry, it wouldn't just be Apple losing money.

    Second, for some people, the app store isn't the only advantage of the iPhone. Crazy how a phone can serve multiple purposes.

    Now for the article:

    HTML5 is great. Going away form Flash is excellent; I can't remember how many times my Mac (which historically has never played nicely with the plug-in) would have a ridiculously high % of my CPU and RAM being used to see a video or game.

    But, as the article points out, there are some disadvantages associated with it on mobile devices.

    Native apps can take full use of optimization of the hardware and software on the phone. In addition, (talking about technology improvement being slightly better in phones than web from the article) phone companies most likely will still put focus to these applications (it is their source of revenue at some level).

    But I think the two biggest things holding web apps back are access and data. Let me explain:

    The great thing about a native app is the developer sets a price for access. You pay that price. The developer gets a % of the sales; the app store provider the rest. You now have that app on your phone forever, even if the developer closes shop and stops updates. But what about the web? Sure, some apps like gmail can be replaced with a html5 interface on the web. But how about controlling access to say games? A pay per use? Pretty inconvenient (although being able to try out once is nice). Pay per use forever? That's great; just like an app. Except for the day the developer decides to shut down the site, meaning you just lost all access to the app/game you paid for. Then there's security concerns: some people rather just have a single company know their credit card information and make purchases that way rather than having to enter it every time on websites. Yes, there are checkout options available, but none are the leader in the market (Amazon, Google, PayPal all offer services).

    So that's my issue with access. The second is data.

    Cellular companies in the US hate you using cell towers for unlimited data. That's why we have caps and controlled speeds and ridiculous bills. But what if I want to play Madden 12 on my iPhone via a HTML app (say its possible)? First, the amount of data going through my phone to play it would be kinda crazy compared to a simple Angry Birds app. On a cell connection, it's going to have hiccups and I'll drain my allotment in no time (200 MB / month users are screwed from the get-go). Sure there's Wi-Fi, but what about when you can't use data or wi-fi?

    This drives back to access. When I'm flying, I can't use cellular data. Not all flights have Wi-Fi. Even if they did, most charge for it. So if I want to play Madden on my iPhone or even Dead Space on my PlayBook that are now HTML web apps to pass the time, I either realize it's going to be a long flight listening to the person next to me or whatever music is on my devices or I pay again to have access to my applications that are now inconveniently stored in the cloud that I can't access.


    I am an optimist. I think there will be a day that everywhere you go, you are covered by a ridiculously fast connection to the internet and the cloud. I think that devices will go from having everything in your life to being the gatekeepers for your life in the clouds. But I also do think that there will always be a market for applications and particularly games that are off this grid and on locally powerful machines. And I know that this data utopia doesn't exist today, which is why HTML5 might be a great step forward in web-coding, but it won't kill off apps. It won't kill off the app store (and this ignores app stores changing completely to account for HTML5 apps. Companies can be smart and adapt to tech instead of holding on). And it's promising a future where the infrastructure doesn't exist yet.

    So all in all, go ahead and download Angry Bird Seasons or Madden 12 for your phone or tablet; it's not going to the cloud anytime soon.
    moiselles and sj-performance like this.
    11-19-11 03:16 PM
  2. bejph's Avatar
    don not think so
    11-20-11 02:38 AM
  3. emirozmen's Avatar
    Apple did a smart move and didnt invest in Flash, they knew HTML 5 would be the future
    11-20-11 05:08 PM
  4. phonejunky's Avatar
    Steve jobs really said it, and everyone said he was crazy for not putting flash on his mobile devices. Even all the blackberry fanboys. He was right all along why not to use it though.
    11-20-11 05:12 PM
  5. reeneebob's Avatar
    *yawn*

    Analysts know nothing when they criticize RIM or Blackberry, but when it's anti Apple suddenly it's the gospel truth. The hypocrisy abounds.
    jclif likes this.
    11-20-11 10:51 PM
  6. reeneebob's Avatar
    Yea HTML 5 apps/web apps are buttery smooth and efficient.

    Flash is great, but if HTML 5 can but used for everything (convert flash files to HTML 5), that would/will be awesome.
    That's how Skyfire browser works for Apple, avt - it converts Flash to HTML allowing it to render on iPhone. Thereby making shootsscores head explode lol.
    DX9 likes this.
    11-20-11 10:52 PM
  7. avt123's Avatar
    *yawn*

    Analysts know nothing when they criticize RIM or Blackberry, but when it's anti Apple suddenly it's the gospel truth. The hypocrisy abounds.
    Just like the charts. The ones that were anti-RIM were considered inaccurate or a nonissue, the ones that favored RIM were ranked up there with a holy grail.

    That's how Skyfire browser works for Apple, avt - it converts Flash to HTML allowing it to render on iPhone. Thereby making shootsscores head explode lol.
    Yea. I never cared for flash though so I never even bothered to get skyfire.
    11-20-11 11:00 PM
  8. sj-performance's Avatar
    Accuweather is the perfect example, their html5 is amazing. Or Gmail, even BGR.

    WOW! we finally agree on something
    11-21-11 08:46 AM
  9. moiselles's Avatar
    WOW! we finally agree on something
    OMG! Did pigs fly?! Is the sky falling?!

    Kidding, love you guys!
    belfastdispatcher likes this.
    11-21-11 08:56 AM
  10. sj-performance's Avatar
    OMG! Did pigs fly?! Is the sky falling?!

    Kidding, love you guys!
    LoL....
    11-21-11 09:02 AM
  11. mikos's Avatar
    I don't get how analysts can come up with the idea that app are dead. Any browser based application needs DATA access, so if you are on the subway, in an area with no service, or on the plane (and not giving someone $9.95) you can't run any applications on your device? How is that a better deal for the consumer?

    I think the app is a long way from dying, the always-connected world just isn't that well built just yet. 4G is just taking off, free wifi isn't where it was expected to be, and it just isn't always easy to be connected.
    11-22-11 04:47 PM
  12. Accidental Post's Avatar
    And BREAKING NEWS:
    11-22-11 05:35 PM
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