I think that we are in general agreement on the usefulness of apps. If the apps can “create an amplified experience”, then I agree they are very useful. I see too many apps that are bookmarks or duplicates of the mobile site and don’t take advantage of the device’s capabilities. I also believe we will see significant enhancements in the mobile web in the near future that will eliminate, or at least significantly reduce, today’s limitations. Enhancements proposed in HTML5 are one example. What that will mean for the future of apps remains to be seen.

I am sure you will have an interesting and entertaining discussion – wish I could be there!

I think that we are in general agreement on the usefulness of apps. If the apps can “create an amplified experience”, then I agree they are very useful. I see too many apps that are bookmarks or duplicates of the mobile site and don’t take advantage of the device’s capabilities. I also believe we will see significant enhancements in the mobile web in the near future that will eliminate, or at least significantly reduce, today’s limitations. Enhancements proposed in HTML5 are one example. What that will mean for the future of apps remains to be seen.

I am sure you will have an interesting and entertaining discussion – wish I could be there!

I agree with your POV on why build an app – but would suggest that the reason people are pushing apps back on to the device (vs. the cloud) is a function of experience and $$$

By having the UI live on the device, we don’t have to worry about streaming rich interfaces / graphics over the network – and therefore save carrier fees. On top of that, we are still very limited in what we can do with the mobile web in terms of interactivity – so apps can create an amplified experience.

I agree with your POV on why build an app – but would suggest that the reason people are pushing apps back on to the device (vs. the cloud) is a function of experience and $$$

By having the UI live on the device, we don’t have to worry about streaming rich interfaces / graphics over the network – and therefore save carrier fees. On top of that, we are still very limited in what we can do with the mobile web in terms of interactivity – so apps can create an amplified experience.

For what it’s worth, I find the whole mobile app craze out of control. We have spent years trying to move apps off the desktop and into the cloud, yet people are propagating apps onto the phone. That seems to me to be a regression of technology, not progression.

The only time that apps make sense to me is if they offer some speicalized functionality that you cannot get from the internet or if they require some sort of special interaction with the phone, like location-based capability.

For what it’s worth, I find the whole mobile app craze out of control. We have spent years trying to move apps off the desktop and into the cloud, yet people are propagating apps onto the phone. That seems to me to be a regression of technology, not progression.

The only time that apps make sense to me is if they offer some speicalized functionality that you cannot get from the internet or if they require some sort of special interaction with the phone, like location-based capability.