Which do you prefer...

6 replies
Hey Guys

I'm hoping the responses to this will help the many developers who frequent the Warrior Forum to create the type of application that people actually prefer.

These days, software developers have the choice of developing their solutions in various ways. For example:

1. Web-based applications using things like PHP and MySQL and which need to be installed on your (or somebody else's) website and managed with your web browser. One advantage is that you can access it from any computer that has an Internet connection and a web browser.

2. Desktop application such as those that can be developed for Adobe Air and run on Windows, Mac and Linux. Being desktop based and not constrained to the browser, the interface is often much nicer and more interactive than can be achieved with a browser-based application. It has the disadvantage that the software needs to be installed on every computer that you want to use it on.

So which do you prefer?

Or don't you have a preference? That response is equally relevant.

Thanks for your time.

Cheers,

Neil
#prefer
  • Profile picture of the author Sean Ski
    I like web based... I don't know why, I always thought it was faster; whether it actually is
    or not beats me but I just like it.

    Also the main point you made for web based all you need is your password instead of
    having to download an application on every computer in your house/work office/etc...
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  • Profile picture of the author SeanSupplee
    Web based is easier then software based so it all depends really on who you are targeting.

    If you are targeting not so computer savvy people then go web based.
    If you targeting IM people who know what they are doing I like software based.
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  • Profile picture of the author mgkimsal
    I don't have a preference myself at first - sort of depends on the program. If it's a desktop app but *requires* connecting to the internet all the time, meaning I can't use it offline (travelling, etc), then it's pointless.

    On the issue of web-based, I can say that writing *secure* PHP software that is easily installable on the wide-variety of web hosting companies available, can be challenging in its own right. Depending on your audience, they may be much more accustomed to the standard installation process for desktop apps (click, next, next, next, etc) than for web-based apps.
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  • Profile picture of the author Neil Morgan
    Hey Guys

    Thanks for the mix of responses this far.

    Big Mike...

    these days we tend to lean towards hybrids which use the web for data storage and the desktop for the engine.
    Can I ask why that's your preference? Just trying to get a little insight.

    Cheers,

    Neil
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  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    I prefer desktop. Always have.
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  • Profile picture of the author thunderbird
    I prefer programs that actually work and, when necessary, are updated to continue working, desktop or web-based. Too many times I've forked out tens or even hundreds of dollars to buy software, only to have the developer drop it and move onto other things, leaving me in the lurch when the software stops working due to changes in the Internet, OS, or whatever (sometimes, a mere couple of months after purchase).
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