You’ve probably noticed the increasing expansion of web-based applications as a quick and convenient replacement for the traditional desktop software we’ve all been using so far. The list is pretty impressive: online email, word processors, personal organizers, RSS managers… Even if you’re not an Internet guru, it’s still easy to understand the reasons for this gradual change.
First of all, Internet connections have spread around the globe at an incredible pace. Many users now enjoy broadband connections at quite affordable prices, which means that they’re permanently online and can use web-based apps at any moment.
Second, we can now connect to the internet from pretty much anywhere, thanks to wireless technology. We can browse the web wherever we feel like it, so it’s far more practical to have our email or documents in an online application, visible from a variety of electronic gadgets, rather than limiting access from a desktop PC app.
One last point is the growing development of the so called Web 2.0, defined by Wikipedia as:
perceived or proposed second generation of Internet-based services—such as social networking sites, wikis, communication tools, and folksonomies—that emphasize online collaboration and sharing among users.
New functionalities such as Ajax have made it possible to develop very complete and attractive web-based apps that are every bit as good as our old good desktop programs.
What do you think? Which web-based applications do you use? Why do you prefer them to desktop software?
