Ebrahim Ezzy outlines how he sees the coming competition between web-based apps (e.g., Writely, Google Spreadsheet) and what he describes as web-expanded desktop apps. As I understand this second category, he is describing the effort of the companies who provide commercial applications to offer web options from within these programs (e.g., blogging from MicroSoft Word). When I thought about the distinction, I realized this second category has been developing for some time and I failed to recognize the contrast he describes. For example, many word processing programs have offered the save as html option for some time. Many other programs (e.g., PowerPoint, Inspiration) provide similar web-oriented option. Ezzy describes features that go far beyond what many of us have already used.
Ezzy concludes that Web-Expanded Apps will end up winning out (security, reliability, scalability, etc.). Read the article – the host of the site Richard McManus disagrees. Perhaps each approach will achieve a critical mass of followers. Browser-apps may be useful in many educational settings because desktop apps are already bloated and expanding the feature set even more may create products not suited the needs of young learners. If this is the path commercial developers intend to pursue, browser apps may
offer the best approach for those seeking both value and simplicity.
