A while back, someone on my twitter feed wondered about why people are always clamoring for standalone native apps on mobile, but on their PCs (OSX or Windows) it's difficult to get them to download an application.
I've been having the thought roll around in my brain a bit, and I've come up with two ideas:
1. Mobile apps provide a safe, sandboxed environment, and pages of attractive icons on mobile still have a bit of a UX zing in a way a desktop or laptop doesn't. Plus, I think Windows gave the idea of downloading software a bad reputation; especially the bundling of additional promotional crapware.
2. Mobile devices are much more personal than PCs. People enjoy webapps because they get to them from home or work or at a friends computer etc, but a mobile device is on your person almost all of the time.
Ok, so that's not such rocket science, but still.
There is also a PRICE component. And frankly, having been a tester for them, none of the android emulators for PC (short of a developer's sandbox) are good for anything whatsoever.
ReplyDeleteThe other HUGE factor for me on mobile is that native apps save your damn password. Versus desktop where 1Password is easily plugged into the browser.
ReplyDelete