Main Area and Open Discussion > General Software Discussion

Have any web-based applications replaced desktop apps for you?

<< < (3/8) > >>

Dirhael:
No, I would much rather completely stop using a computer than fully move over to any so-call "web 2.0" applications.

Ralf Maximus:
Total online everything can happen ONLY when internet connections are near 100% reliable, like electricity or wired telephones.  Not being able to edit a document or look up a bit or personal data because "the internet's down" is just silly.

I'm curious as to why companies think people want this anyway.  Sure, some things make a lot of sense (maps, yellow pages) but running a word processor inside a browser?  For anything but short documents it seems absurd.  Even cheap workstations have ridiculous amounts of hoursepower not utilized by the server 2000 miles away. 

We've spent the last 30 years running away from timeshare computing.  This is progress?

app103:
I don't see the advantages in a business or the average home environment, but for someone that is on the go that wouldn't have access to their own pc while traveling, web-based applications make a lot of sense.

Everything is online...accessable anywhere you have access to a browser and an internet connection. There is no need to worry about the ability/inability to install software on the machine you will be using.

Just drop into a public library in whatever city you are in and use one of their pc's to get some work done. If you don't finish, it will be ready & waiting for you at the library of the next city you happen to find yourself in.

And on that note, I think it opens up a lot of possibilities for people that don't even own a computer. Much less stuff you would have to stick on your thumbdrive if the applications are online, and even less if they store your data, too.

Ralf Maximus:
Good arguments, very good.

Where do you draw the line regarding security and privacy?  If every document you've ever edited is stored in somebody else's server, what guarantee have you that they will (a) respect your privacy, (b) enact security sufficient to keep your stuff out of the hands of thieves, and (c) still be around in 5 years when you need it again?

Most IT departments I've seen don't even do backups right.

I was discussing the exact issue with an IT manager today, and he mentioned he'd read through the Google EULA for their online docs app... he says there's lots of stuff in there about Google's "right to use" your documents for anything they want.

Granted they probably WON'T do anything evil, but they're not saying they will not.  How'd you like to log into their "free" service and suddenly learn you'll be charged $5 to download a copy of your resume? 

Or that your family photos are now being used in a Kodak ad campaign?

All legal, according to the EULA, according to him.

Deozaan:
Something that I just don't understand why hasn't been made widely available yet is automatic syncing of documents online and off.

It would be great to have a local client that works offline, but syncs with your online folder for when you're on the go. I know these things exist, but why aren't they more mainstream?

I know some people question the security and privacy, but for those who don't (most people, probably) why isn't this available?

In slightly related news, I recently installed Office 2007 on my wife's laptop as an upgrade from Office 2003. Because I selected upgrade it did the entire install by itself and didn't let me customize it. After that I was using her laptop and noticed a Groove button in Windows Explorer, thought it was some garbage app she had unwittingly installed, and tried to uninstall it. When I found out it was Office 2007 and that it was for file and folder synchronizing across the network, I quickly installed Groove on my other two PCs. I really like it.

Something as simple as that would be great with internet connectivity.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page