#Native #apps have inherent advantages over #web apps, yet an open web is important. #Gatekeepers are abusing its openness. Web apps dominance on #desktop looks like an effect of the gatekeepers pushing for that. Web apps are pushed by #BigTech: #Google #Apple #Facebook #Amazon, partly as a way to break #Microsoft #Windows's dominance. Its good to break Windows' dominance, but now, Big Tech web apps serve as new gatekeepers.
@eighthave Google was web-only until it had a dominant OS (Android). Apple never pushed for web apps and actively hinders them on the other dominant mobile OS. Big tech wasn't particularly important in its success on the desktop. It is significantly hindering it on mobile, though. The open web is an OS market opener monopolists fear.
Inherent advantages with earlier access to OS-specific APIs? On the other hand, the need to develop and maintain OS-specific apps is an inherent disadvantage.
* Google clearly pushed out desktop office apps, so much so that Microsoft had to switch to web apps.
* Google also dominates the development of browsers, with Microsoft and Apple being notable players.
* Amazon is the dominate player in hosting web apps.
* Facebook drives the development of lots of key web app frameworks.
Without Big Tech there would be no web apps.
@ondra People like Apple iOS because of the smooth integrated UX. That's only possible when using lots of native apps. And iOS users spend most of their time in native apps. The web app UX is still second rate, even when massive companies like Google and Microsoft pour resources in. Web apps provide their own lock-in effects, for Google especially, since they have so much control over the browser.