[pcwalton]

> Why should the situation be different on the desktop? I feel that the efforts should not be going into making the browser into an OS that can run general-purpose software, but rather getting a packaging system that is cross-platform and easy for users to use.

Cross platform is a red herring. The iOS and Android app stores are not cross platform. Ease of use is also increasingly a red herring. The Windows and Mac app stores have been around for a long time and are quite easy to use. Yet they have not ushered in a shift away from Web apps on the desktop.

I think we should be looking at why Web apps have been successful on the desktop rather than pretending they have no advantages.

[andrewchambers]

> I think we should be looking at why Web apps have been successful on the desktop rather than pretending they have no advantages.

I think there is a perception of "try before you buy" with web apps that is appealing. Even when apps/programs are free, you feel like you are giving something away by installing them.

[lmm]

It's like the old "How do you get an untested drug on the market? Pretend it's a dietary supplement". How do you get corporates and users to install a remote application runtime that lets them run programs from the internet? Pretend it's a document viewer.