[brava27]

The browser? I mean the browser provides twitter and facebook, etc.
There are a ton of websites that provide everything you need without an app.

This being said, it would be AWESOME if RIM perfected the browser to perfection! Like multitasking tabs that allow music on one, browsing on another, youtube on another all playing music at the same time with no stoppage!

[sedalia066]

While there is some merit to your argument for me the right app allows easier access and better functionality. For now Twitter will continue from the phone and not the PB. Maybe one day that will change but not today.

[blackcaneaddict]

Agreed. Would love some premium games this week though.
come EA and Gameloft!

[ceroberts75]

brother....i have been preaching this for years!

everyone jinks applemade apps....when in fact, there have been apps (applications) for handsets since geos in the mid 90's and then the communicators after that on symbian.

but with fjll web access, defeats the purpose for a dumbed down ui with less jnctionality then the web ux.

[narci]

If you really think about it...how come there's no facebook app on my desktop computer?

[ceroberts75]

you onlyneed an app if the device cant handle the process/program.

thats a weak bandaid.

[ekafara]

If you really think about it...how come there's no facebook app on my desktop computer?

Wait a while, you may see it on macs...

I was thinking the same thing though. I thought they made apps for certain websites due to the lack of big screen. So with tablets having a bigger screen you should be able to use the full website instead of the application. I'm sure there may have been some other contributing factors involved in the decision to turn webpages into applications.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[howarmat]

apps give you several things over websites, notifications being a big one.

[narci]

Wait a while, you may see it on macs...

I was thinking the same thing though. I thought they made apps for certain websites due to the lack of big screen. So with tablets having a bigger screen you should be able to use the full website instead of the application. I'm sure there may have been some other contributing factors involved in the decision to turn webpages into applications.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

I think they made apps because of resource intensive websites.

Aslo probably because to make extra $$$.

Would you buy a facebook app for $ (if they charged for it) if you can access the full site properly on the PB?

[dandbj13]

Webpages were built for high-res computer monitors, not portable devices. Smartphone apps were built for low-res 2" screens. With every new formfactor comes the need to rethink the interface so that it makes sense for the device you are using.

"Who needs apps" is the kind of question that can only be asked by a person who has not experienced the bounty of device specific, well-made apps.

[ekafara]

I think they made apps because of resource intensive websites.

Aslo probably because to make extra $$$.

Would you buy a facebook app for $ (if they charged for it) if you can access the full site properly on the PB?

No. There would be no need. Also good point about the resource intensive websites. I do see the need on a phone for the app and possibly the tablet. And I agree with the one poster about the notifications being a big deal on your phone. It does save some time.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[brava27]

The twitter app is a bit sluggish. The FB app is gold actually. I would like to see an app for SKYPE or some app that allows video conferencing with other people that have ipods or iphones like my mom across the world.
Another cool app would be MSN messenger or some messaging app!

[TheMarco]

The browser? I mean the browser provides twitter and facebook, etc.
There are a ton of websites that provide everything you need without an app.

That's what she (I mean Steve) said in 2007.

Until the masses demanded apps and they had to be unleashed.

[BlackStormRising]

No mouse, no cursor, no trackpad, no point and click, how about those tool tips when you hover your cursor over an object? Won't pure touchscreen devices like the Playbook need apps? Some websites weren't designed for this type of UI.

[Paul J. McCain]

i was just thinking this! i was just using fb chat on the playbook browser, and browsing is a breeze. no need for an app when you can use all features of the actual site!

[Paul J. McCain]

No mouse, no cursor, no trackpad, no point and click, how about those tool tips when you hover your cursor over an object? Won't pure touchscreen devices like the Playbook need apps? Some websites weren't designed for this type of UI.

I'm guessing you don't have one?

you can literally use the facebook site the same way as on your desktop. tooltips can be brought up by holding a link for a second. very few sites benefit from curseovers. actually. all i can think of is flash games or those annoying interactive ads.

[lanctot]

I need an app to read a my external hard drive.

[Rennteam]

The browser? I mean the browser provides twitter and facebook, etc.
There are a ton of websites that provide everything you need without an app.

This being said, it would be AWESOME if RIM perfected the browser to perfection! Like multitasking tabs that allow music on one, browsing on another, youtube on another all playing music at the same time with no stoppage!

Please tell me that you're kidding because otherwise I have to doubt your sanity.

[brava27]

Please tell me that you're kidding because otherwise I have to doubt your sanity.

I'm sane sometimes.

[BlackStormRising]

I'm guessing you don't have one?

you can literally use the facebook site the same way as on your desktop. tooltips can be brought up by holding a link for a second. very few sites benefit from curseovers. actually. all i can think of is flash games or those annoying interactive ads.

I have a Playbook, but no facebook account (and I just ripped a hole in the fabric of cyberspace with that admission). However, I still believe that a lot of websites are not mobile device friendly. Surely all those iPad apps are not just work arounds because of flash? Some sites are just not pinch and zoom (or xoom if you prefer) friendly. I have had a site or two cause me some grief this week, but for the most part a lightning fast browser can ease a lot of the pain!

[howarmat]

right, pinch zoom helps but doesnt solve all

[jclardy#IM]

Apps are useful because of one thing: interface.

The web in it's current form was designed with the desktop in mind. Small text, small buttons, small lists. All designed for a mouse or trackpad with a scroll wheel/scroll area/gestures.

For sites you don't use often no big deal, but if you use something all the time (Facebook, twitter, banking, video, etc.) then all the pinching to zoom in will end up wasting time, along with having to launch the browser then load the page, which could be completed in one step just by opening the app.

Plus apps also can better integrate the device hardware (GPS, cameras, gyroscope, accelerometer). HTML 5 is advancing in this area but still has a long way to go.

[MisterMe11]

I don't know the details, but I read that HTML5 has some sort of notifications support.

I'm not a big proponent of web site makeovers into apps. I tried a couple of the news aggregation apps, and I can see some advantage to repackaging in a larger font with a simplified interface, but I found them very limiting. I go in, there's one or 2 interesting articles and that's it - too linear/constrained.

- compared to the browser where I open multiple tabs, search for related info, and generally jump around to other info (very hard to replicate this in an app)

Apple has trained people that they need proprietary apps in some areas when the evolution of the web hopefully will obviate the need for them. They are a step backwards in my oppinion (speaking specifically of the 'browser replacement variety')

Other apps that are more like traditional programs that extend the OS make more sense

apps give you several things over websites, notifications being a big one.

[howarmat]

I don't know the details, but I read that HTML5 has some sort of notifications support.

I'm not a big proponent of web site makeovers into apps. I tried a couple of the news aggregation apps, and I can see some advantage to repackaging in a larger font with a simplified interface, but I found them very limiting. I go in, there's one or 2 interesting articles and that's it - too linear/constrained.

- compared to the browser where I open multiple tabs, search for related info, and generally jump around to other info (very hard to replicate this in an app)

Apple has trained people that they need proprietary apps in some areas when the evolution of the web hopefully will obviate the need for them. They are a step backwards in my oppinion (speaking specifically of the 'browser replacement variety')

Other apps that are more like traditional programs that extend the OS make more sense

some websites have built in notifications, google does actually. then you have to leave the browser open though and you probably wont get the notification since unless the browser was the active app at the time.

Just think of everything you get for your BB. Ebay, weather, twitter, facebook, gtalk, AIM, gmail, hotmail, yahoo etc. with apps you can get those instantly. without apps for those "websites" you have to log in to each of them and check for all of those things. They dont need to actually run, just have background process like many apps on the BB already does

[MisterMe11]

Thanks for the examples. Again, no expert on HTML5, but hypothetically (meaning technically possible, not necessarily currently in development) a browser type interface could run background monitoring processes and then provide alerts to the user. The browser is designed as a universal renderer (and hence extensible/scalable to new data sources) - whereas apps are more fixed function. I'd rather have a single universal browser (maybe with a style sheet type concept rendering XML data) than have to deal with a large number of single-use apps. I just doesn't make sense in the long run. It's as if Apple has broken the internet by unleashing this monster.

some websites have built in notifications, google does actually. then you have to leave the browser open though and you probably wont get the notification since unless the browser was the active app at the time.

Just think of everything you get for your BB. Ebay, weather, twitter, facebook, gtalk, AIM, gmail, hotmail, yahoo etc. with apps you can get those instantly. without apps for those "websites" you have to log in to each of them and check for all of those things. They dont need to actually run, just have background process like many apps on the BB already does