UI differences between web and local (installed) apps

[KenR]

Here is an interesting and important article about differences between web applications and software you might download and install on your computer.

After spending about a year interacting with µTorrent exclusively through Remote Desktop, I was pleasantly surprised to discover how good the web UI is. It aggressively exploits the latest Ajax techniques to replicate most of the rich GUI functionality of µTorrent in a browser. But the web UI is still a pale shadow of the full-blown Windows UI. There are small but important details missing throughout, and part of the pleasure of using µTorrent was luxuriating in its intense attention to detail, its wealth of well-designed data readouts. Using the web UI is like drinking watered-down beer. It doesn't satisfy.
But does it matter? Despite my nitpicking, I can do everything I need to do remotely through the web UI...

http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/


Locally Installed Program Interface


Web Application User Interface