One thing that is kind of scary today is the prominence of web-based applications that run in your browser. I've always thought this was moving backwards. With much more powerful computers, we have amazing potential for really rich applications. Why build for a browser using old, slow technologies like JavaScript and HTML? We also have this great ideology of applications running in the dock, but web based apps are always in your browser. It's a very limiting environment.

Imagine the possibilities if web apps had access to the same technologies and resources that desktop apps do. Right now, the link between the desktop and the browser is pretty weak. Ever tried uploading photos to Flickr, for example, without the Uploadr app? Many companies are acknowledging the need for better desktop interaction, but few are acting.



Most people would agree that user experience in web apps is often a really poor one. "Is it a web page or is it an application?" We're often stuck with web paradigms such as hyperlinks and forms which come in the way of making a usable application. There's also no set of rules for web-based interfaces, although there are some suggested ones, so web apps tend to be all too confusing for the end user. Interfaces on the web are basically a free-for-all, and it shows.

In the future, I can see apps that are web-based but use a desktop client for better user experience. We're just beginning to see apps like this emerge thanks to technologies such as WebKit and Apollo. It is also interesting that Steve Jobs brought this same idea up at the D5 conference. Will this hopefully be the future?