Mobile apps are a distraction - the web is the way forward.

[Ewan]

Chris Messina has posted an interesting argument that the rise of popularity in applications on mobile phones has stunted the growth of the true 'next big thing', the web based applet that runs in the browser. It's worth a read over a cup of coffee, including his (perhaps not quite) tongue in cheek thinking that Steve Jobs is deliberately crippling the app store. Of course in all this heat, I'm sure many US commentators will forget about one of the leading on device web app platforms... Nokia's Web Runtime.

Read on in the full article.

[RogerPodacter]

US commentators will forget about one of the leading on device web app platforms... Nokia's Web Runtime

See i'm not sure many people really are happy with nokia's web runtime. Its rather slow to be honest. I would rather nokia concentrate on people making native symbian apps. perhaps nokia could make a bunch of ready-to-go templates for developers struggling with native symbian coding? they need to do something to make it easy for beginner coders to come in and make native apps. these WRT apps are just too slow and not good looking, the UI is limited, etc. in fact that's the exact wrong way i think things should be going. we need more apps like Gravity.

[Dynite]

Why does it have to 'go' one way or the other?

Surely its a natural process whereby people will program in what they want to program in.

The choice is there for the application authors.

[argh]

Will all these new online services drive down the price of data, or will the price of data drop and drive the services?

Networks like Orange are still very overpriced for data.

Originally Posted by Dynite

Why does it have to 'go' one way or the other?

Surely its a natural process whereby people will program in what they want to program in.

The choice is there for the application authors.

In nokia's case they need more coders, period.

That is just his opinion. Native mobile apps are fine as well. Maybe he could not get his app to start so he doomed all apps. He should have left this half baked idea in his head.

[chucky.egg]

And where I live has patchy 2G coverage, no 3G at all, so what do I do when all my apps are web-based?

The nice idea is let down by reality - mobile coverage is based on (and measured around, in the UK at least) where people live/work/play. The networks are not attempting to cover the whole landmass, so there will always be places where web-based apps are unusable.

No thanks to the web-based apps, but put me down for a "data-mirrored-to-a-cloud" package