5/8 Apps On My iPod Touch Are Web Apps, The App Store Won’t Matter Soon Enough

By Holden Page on November 5, 2009

Everyone is up in arms about the fact there are over 85,000+ apps available in the App Store, if I didn’t know any better, I might have thought that Jesus was now going to buy the iPhone because of this.

Funny thing is, as mobile platforms such as Android, iPhone, BlackBerry and even Windows Mobile mature in the App Store arena, so will other aspects of the OS.

Namely, the browser.

Already, the iPhone and Android OS provide comparable browsers that are quite powerful at browsing the “real” web, while BlackBerry and Windows Mobile are still making markable improvements on their own browsers. Sound familiar to something I am using to type this up on?

On my iPod Touch I currently have 5 apps on my homescreen that are web based and are quite powerful. These apps are:

- Clicky Mobile

- FriendFeed

- Gmail

- Meebo

- WordPress

Now, you could argue that iPod Touch web apps require a web connection, their biggest down fall. But, what client-side apps these days are not connected to the web to provide greater, or even complete functionality? Also, just like browsers on the PC that allow local data storage, you can be sure the same will happen with mobile browsers (Google Gears mobile anyone?).

Eventually, you won’t have 85,000 reasons to stay on the iPhone because those apps will no longer be locked down. Just like computers now, if you have a standards-compliant mobile browser and an internet connection, you can have the same experience, apps and data on any computer.

What I am saying is, the godly App Store and its success will not matter much in the near future because the future has already been told through the already grown-up PC.

dj adelaide

what i see when i look at itunes is not the 85,000 apps but the 200,000,000 users with credit card details, sure someone can come along and create something similar but how easy will it be for them to get people to subscribe to their service and actually pay for it? and as an iphone developer why would i launch my app on a new unproven platform when i can just launch it on itunes with instant access to 200,000,000 potential customers who have proven that they are willing to pay for apps and have credit cards?

Holden Page

Great point DJ and one that I don't have a response too.

That will be interesting to see how future web apps will adjust to this. This could slow powerful web apps down considerably.

Alex W

You are so wrong. The fact that ATT blows so much dick necessitates that most apps need not be always online.

Holden Page

What apps do you regularly use on your iPhone that do not require an online connection?

Also, the iPhone won't always be on AT&T and it really doesn't matter, you can use web apps on any computer with a standards compliant browser, the same will eventually apply to mobile devices.

Alex W

Hell Holden, all the games that I have are offline! Right?

Holden Page

Lol, I expected no less

Alex W

Until the browser gets better, bite my nuts.

Holden Page

Of course, but if I know anything about games (which I believe I do) the experience so much better when you play them via online :) Plus, I know you, Alex :)

Also, Alex, you are using the same arguments that people used when they doubted the fact that Google Docs could potentially replace Microsoft Office, that is why Microsoft is releasing a cloud-based competitor of their own.

The cloud, on both PC and mobile, are the future. It's just the mobile world is a few steps behind its big brother.