It’s official. Web based and Desktop applications have duked it out for over 10 years and it’s pretty obvious that the web is about to run a victory lap. Sure, we still use traditional desktop apps and we may do so for the next 10 years or longer, but web based applications are clearly the winner. The smoother deployment, persistent centralized storage and more consistent deployment environment give web based systems a darwinian advantage in a market ecosystem that favors rapid adaptation and flexibility.Unfortunately, despite its benefits, web based software has several crippling short comings.

• Only available when there’s a net connection
• Reduced client side performance
• Browser quirks
• Bandwidth limitations
• Less flexible environment
• Security sandboxes

Improving technology stands a chance of removing or eliminating many of these issues in the long term. In the short and mid range, hybrid technologies are emerging that will help get us from point A to point B. Site specific browsers, offline storage, desktop integration technologies, mobile sites and widgets all have a roll to play in the years ahead. The web has definitely come full circle and as web developers we need to prepare ourselves for the next frontier of development: the desktop.

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