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Can Web Apps Ever Truly Replace Desktop Apps?

Posted by Zonk on from the letting-it-all-hang-online dept.

tooger writes "Matt Hartley from MadPenguin.org opines that web apps can never replace desktop applications, for a variety of reasons. He writes, 'Some of you may point out that the data stored on your hard drive is not of any real consequence, but I would disagree. It is more than probable that a skilled, disgruntled employee of the company you trust with your data could ... sell off your personal information.' Given the real danger of privacy concerns, identity theft, and uptime, will web-based applications ever truly replace locally hosted software?"

2 of 196 comments (clear)

  1. Who wrote this, a software developer? by drinkypoo · · Score: 3, Interesting

    If most people will trust Microsoft with their personal data, why shouldn't they trust some random company out there on the web someplace? Microsoft has already proven themselves to be untrustworthy (spyware, insecurity.)

    If over 50% of the world's PCs are compromised, then most people's data is already vulnerable, on their own PC.

    I call FUD.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  2. Photoshop Replacement by acm · · Score: 3, Interesting
    I've always used Photoshop and photo editing as an example of a class of applications that would never make sence to be replaced with a web equivalent. Then someone showed me Snipshot. Check it out, it is pretty intersting. Although it only does very basic photo editing right now, I could see where, in the future, it could support most (all?) the features of Photoshop.

    So now I don't know. Besides the security of having all your data on your own hard drive, I'm not sure I have a compelling technical reason to argue that virtually all applications couldn't eventually be ran through the web browser.