[Just Me]

Having been a BlackBerry user for a long time I did not get invested in the app craze. I did my online banking and just about everything else through my browser. Guess what, it worked great. Why do I need a phone specific app which limits my usability.

I always assumed it was because I had an original BB, but now I have (access to - I'd never admit to buying one) the iPad and have downloaded all the apps I could dream of. At last I figured I would be live in pure bliss, Imagine my surprise to note that the most apps I though I wanted are worse than the actual websites. Take eBay for example, the highest most functional version of eBay is run through the browser on my Z10. The iPad app with its larger screen doesn't even come close in functionality and ease of use. The ported Android app is equally as bad. My bank is the same way, they have an iPhone app and it does not work as well as the website did on my 9800. My banker continuously reminds her clients not to use the flawed app. The only advantage to apps I have found are ones which use GPS or the camera.

What I don't understand is why do apps for websites continue to draw so much attention from companies and developers. Am I missing something? Do apps allow developers to do more than they could with HTML5? Aren't companies sick of copying their work just to have an app?

PS. Games are games, not apps and they are irrelevant to this conversation.

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[qbnkelt]

I have found that the experience of a web app is hit or miss because it's not optimised for each device, it's a one size fits all. Additionally, not all websites have web apps....my bank, for instance, hasn't got a web app.

[FrankIAm]

And most people prefer apps because of their simplicity and ease, and just like your name says, its just you.

[howarmat]

Sure there are some websites that are very mobile friendly. But there are others where the app is much better. Yelp is a great example of an app that replaces a website much better. I could use logmein website also I guess but the app works much better.

Point is that you can't just make a statement and say that apps are inferior to a good website. It's just not the case all the time.

[qbnkelt]

It is truly surprising that in late 2013 there is still a question as to whether apps are needed. Simply put, yes.

[Acvdm]

It's free advertising. Why do companies have twitter pages? Not everyone has twitter. Face it social media us becoming a necessity

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[gg bb]

Google and Apple like dedicated apps for their platforms. It assists them in maintaining their market dominance.
Shops and banks prefer you to download an app because when you download their app you sign to their terms and conditions which gives them cart blanche to do whatever they want with your data. They can also strape more data like what locations people are in when they buy / use services. With so many different data protection acts in so many countries if you use thier website its very dificult for them to use your data for targeted marketing or to categorise you to sell on your data to other companies whilst staying 100% on right side of the law!

( 1 x shift ) !~ /^1?$|^(11+?)\1+$/

[qbnkelt]

Google and Apple like dedicated apps for their platforms. It assists them in maintaining their market dominance.
Shops and banks prefer you to download an app because when you download their app you sign to their terms and conditions which gives them cart blanche to do whatever they want with your data. They can also strape more data like what locations people are in when they buy / use services. With so many different data protection acts in so many countries if you use thier website its very dificult for them to use your data for targeted marketing or to categorise you to sell on your data to other companies whilst staying 100% on right side of the law!

( 1 x shift ) !~ /^1?$|^(11+?)\1+$/

So you're saying that banks do "whatever they wqnt with your data."

Ok.....


Sent from my beautiful white iPhone 5 on iOS7 using Tapatalk

[Danny Ocean]

I happen to agree with Just Me in most cases. I've found this especially true with Android apps. I used the Wells Fargo app on my 9900, so I sideloaded the Android WF app on my Q10. It simply doesn't have the same functionality. I ended up deleting it because I found myself preferring to just use the bookmark icon on my homescreen. ESPN has a fantasy football app. Both the Android and iOS versions significantly lack the functionality of the browser version. Ebay is all but unusable in my opinion in any form other than in the browser. If you think about it, just about all the apps that people ask for/complain about not having the most are apps that don't have the option of using a browser to access (Instagram, Vine, Netflix, etc.)

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[Tre Lawrence]

So you're saying that banks do "whatever they wqnt with your data."

Ok.....


Sent from my beautiful white iPhone 5 on iOS7 using Tapatalk

... and that the apps are part of this trick to get said data?

[Tre Lawrence]

It is truly surprising that in late 2013 there is still a question as to whether apps are needed.

It is funny. Tragic, but funny. Good thing is that BBRY understands the importance.

[Just Me]

It is truly surprising that in late 2013 there is still a question as to whether apps are needed. Simply put, yes.

Endomondo is an example of an app that is needed. It perform different functions from the website. The app does the tracking and acts as a display when running and biking while the website is an aggregator of data and a social network. It provide different functionality than the website. I'm still not buying the idea my bank or a shopping site provide better service or user experience with a dedicated app.

Don't misunderstand, this is not an anti-app post. There are great apps out there no doubt. I don't understand why apps are funded which are worse than their original website.

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[leejayh]

What I am beginning to hate about apps, I has all been caused by Google. Google has figured out how to annoyingly add advertising into apps so that developers can monetise eyeballs.

If there is one place I do not want ad intrusion, it is on my phone.

The ironically beautiful thing about BB, is that so many of the apps do not have ad integration. I am sure that will change over time. But I would rather pay 3 bucks then have to have clutter on my screen.

Perhaps BlackBerry can make that a mandate. For bb10 apps, there MUST be a non ad version, even if it is paid.



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[Just Me]

It's free advertising. Why do companies have twitter pages? Not everyone has twitter. Face it social media us becoming a necessity

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It is far from free. The cost of maintaining an app and a website is significant.

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[Tre Lawrence]

What I am beginning to hate about apps, I has all been caused by Google. Google has figured out how to annoyingly add advertising into apps so that developers can monetise eyeballs.

If there is one place I do not want ad intrusion, it is on my phone.

The ironically beautiful thing about BB, is that so many of the apps do not have ad integration. I am sure that will change over time. But I would rather pay 3 bucks then have to have clutter on my screen.

Perhaps BlackBerry can make that a mandate. For bb10 apps, there MUST be a non ad version, even if it is paid.

That's a tough mandate. Wouldn't mind it myself, but can't really begrudge a developer monetizing a product he/she offers the way he/she wants to.

[Dgree03]

Ugh look apps offer integration into an OS API to provide additional functionality. Not all apps use the additional Apis to integrate into an OS, and I would agree that those apps are usually no different than their mobile browser counterpart.

This is what I feel BBRY fans do not understand... And sometimes I do not blame them if they are coming from bbos 7 or before and have never touch a phone or tablet with a well matured App Store . But there is no denying apps are truly the more integrated way to display to the users particular info.

Can't get cascades or hub functionality in a web app.. That is the most obvious example.

[nycspaces.]

Seems like the apps provide more control because they tend to be platform specific but there is no reason companies shouldn't build decent rich web and mobile web environments. Why limit users, lazy *ss bad design?


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[Anonymous2039]

This is a debatable topic.

For the most part,there is no advantage to applications that do basically the same things as the websites. Look at banking applications. Most of them do exactly the same thing as their respective websites. But if a banking application has the added functionality of mobile NFC payments, then that application is better than the website.

I wish we could have the ability to open more than one instance of Browser at a time. So, for instance, when creating a home page web shortcut, if there was an option that said, "Open in standalone window", then that basically becomes the app.

Other applications like utilities will usually only work in app form. Similarly, you cant use Cascades on a website, but since most banking apps, etc. are coded in glitchy HTML5 anyway, this is a non-issue.

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[Just Me]

Ugh look apps offer integration into an OS API to provide additional functionality. Not all apps use the additional Apis to integrate into an OS, and I would agree that those apps are usually no different than their mobile browser counterpart.

This is what I feel BBRY fans do not understand... And sometimes I do not blame them if they are coming from bbos 7 or before and have never touch a phone or tablet with a well matured App Store . But there is no denying apps are truly the more integrated way to display to the users particular info.

Can't get cascades or hub functionality in a web app.. That is the most obvious example.

I am a BlackBerry fan. I did come from BB7 but I am definitely not unfamiliar with other OS. I expect those stores to be full of highly integrated app. They are not. Some app are, but so far not one has cited any examples of non camera or location centric app which could not be perfectly functional as web apps. I have cited banking and shopping apps as being inferior to their web based counterparts on all platforms. The NFC payement option is noted, score a point for better banking apps. I still have not seen one which maintains the full web functionality while delivering NFC payement.

Integrating the website into the phone's search function (BB10 only) is an advantage to having an app but that app should retain the full web functionality or just act as a shortcut.

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