| This just keeps coming up on HN time and again; [1] [2] [3] Whichever side you're on, browser vs. native, the sheer frequency of this discussion proves that at least a clear distinction IS needed. Continuing the status quo of web/browser/standards bloat cannot be good. Somebody really needs to set down some global rules of thumb. I think that when your webpage starts needing sidebars and subwindows and popups and notifications (yes, looking at you, Facebook) then at that point it should just be a native app. Let the web and its browsers focus on "sites" and "pages" and let the OS do "apps." After that it's up to the operating systems to make discovering and accessing apps as easy as typing in a website's address. As a user, I want to sign in just once on each of my devices (iCloud/Apple ID lets me do that), and just type in an app's name (say Cmd+Space and "facebook") and then start using it right away as the OS begins downloading it incrementally, just as a browser does a website, except with full access to the OS's features, efficient use of my hardware and battery, and instant access to all my data without a separate login. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11735770 [2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11552162 [3] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11658873 |