Google says the iPhone App Store is kaput!
Given that the maker of the Android OS has put all of its mobile application eggs into the cloud, there’s neither a hint here of self-serving prognostication nor sour grapes. But, is there really any substance in what’s being said?
Financial Times is carrying comments by Vic Gundotra, vice president or engineering and developer evangelist for Google at the Mobilebeat conference in San Francisco.
“Many, many applications can be delivered through the browser and what that does for our costs is stunning,” says Gundotra. “We believe the Web has won and over the next several years, the browser, for economic reasons almost, will become the platform that matters and certainly that’s where Google is investing.”
“We believe the web has won and over the next several years, the browser, for economic reasons almost, will become the platform that matters and certainly that’s where Google is investing,” he adds.
So much wishful thinking…
First, as Apple has adeptly shown with the iPod and iTunes Store and now the iPhone plus App Store is that creating a seamless, easy-to-use and powerful customer experience easily trumps the marginal cost differential (aka chump change) between really cheap and really good. Some pissing and moaning aside, this works for content owners, developers and consumers alike.
Secondly, matching an application to specific CPU, graphics and memory specifications—as noted by Michael Gartenberg (via Wired)—while serving important functionality from the cloud (ie a hybrid model) offers great, great advantages in terms of performance, features and, most importantly, quality of service. That’s what the App Store does.
Thirdly, although “many, many” applications can be delivered via a browser, handhelds aren’t nearly as powerful as notebooks let alone desktops and “many, many” web apps are simply awful on the desktop. So, although smart folks like Gundotra have been stating quite emphatically that the network is or will be the computer (since at least the thin client fad of the ’90s), the simple fact is Java or Flash or HTML5 or whatever on whatever platform is still far from reliably preferable.
Lastly and in all honesty, how reliable are the traditional wired, cellular, EDGE, 3G and wi-fi networks where you live, work and travel? How secure and trustworthy are these various wired and over-the-air networks? Now, how reliable are the web apps you use on those networks? I’m guessing you’re experiencing regular disruptions with at least one of these services and probably multiple concurrent failures from time to time.
Ultimately, Gundotra’s wanton optimism may be borne out. Until then, I’m quite happy to keep using real apps, real storage and, yes, the cloud in a pinch…
What’s your take?
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July 20th, 2009
I think Sun Microsystems said the same thing about 10 years ago.
Every few years someone else comes out and says the browser will be used to provide all or many of the applications. There is some truth to this in that there are many online services/applications which you do make use through the browser, but the vast majority of applications that people use are not delivered via the browser and I don’t expect this to change significantly in the near future as there are too many benefits from locally run applications.
As for the mobile phone, the browser experience is not that great and especially with the iPhone you see more and more custom apps instead of pushing people to the browser. As you mentioned in your article, the mobile phone is not the same as a desktop and data input is more difficult when browser apps are intended for computers and not phones.
At the end of the day the reality of the situation will win out no matter what any evangelist says. People will use whats convenient and in many cases that will be local applications. Finally on additional point is even today you are not guaranteed network connectivity at all times which means browser based apps may not be available. HTML5 helps with this but does not solve the problem.
July 21st, 2009
It will be a long time before the mobile networks can handle that much work.