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A comment on I built a progressive web app and published it in three app stores. Parent comment

Re:I built a progressive web app and published it in three a... by al2o3cr on Monday April 16, 2018 @01:23PM (#16850821) 

    I think they will win in the long run, and will eventually
    (~5 years) become the dominant type of app in mobile and
    desktop app stores.
Am I the only one who remembers people saying this EXACT thing about Java Swing apps? Not saying it's impossible, but "Write Once Run Anywhere" has been a mirage "just over the horizon" for a long time.
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Re:I built a progressive web app and published it in three a... by judah on Monday April 16, 2018 @01:38PM (#16850973)
Author here.

Maybe Java fans, or Sun/Oracle employees and fanboys said that. That doesn't really mean much.

I did predict years ago that open web technologies will destroy native (desktop) apps, Flash, and Silverlight. In hindsight, I was correct.

I am predicting the same thing with regards to native mobile apps: they will largely disappear, and web apps will again win.

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Re:I built a progressive web app and published it in three a... by scarface74 on Monday April 16, 2018 @01:52PM (#16851116)
Well actually no. Mobile destroyed Flash and Silverlight and all of the complex apps that were moved to mobile went native - like Netflix.
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Re:I built a progressive web app and published it in three a... by judah on Monday April 16, 2018 @03:52PM (#16852126)
You're right that mobile did help kill plugins. But that was the final blow; HTML5 had already disrupted native apps on desktop OS for a few years, and as browsers picked up HTML5 support, there was almost no need for plugins.

(I say this with first-hand knowledge: several years ago when plugins were still common, I gave the final talk to a Silverlight user group in Minneapolis, in which I told the crowd there was simply no reason to continue using plugins. HTML5 won, and mobile only finalized its success.)

Just as open web technologies ate Microsoft's lunch, undermining the domination of Windows, I predict the same will be true of the Apple (and Google) app ecoysystems. More and more, operating systems are simply environments in which to run web browser. I believe this trend will continue.

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Re:I built a progressive web app and published it in three a... by scarface74 on Monday April 16, 2018 @04:10PM (#16852264)
The original iPhone cams out in 2007. Flash and Silverlight was still big.

As late as 2010, Apple was still getting beat up about the iPad not supporting Flash.

HTML 5 was not popular a "few years before 2007". Android users were still touting being able to (barely) use Flash as late as 2010.

It also wasn't "open jtechnologies" that caused Windows to be less relevant. Windows still commands 85-90% plus of the desktop. Mobile caused the desktop to be less relevant.

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Re:I built a progressive web app and published it in three a... by HillaryBriss on Tuesday April 17, 2018 @11:03AM (#16858958)
> I am predicting the same thing with regards to native mobile apps: they will largely disappear, and web apps will again win.

But, how do you reconcile this belief with the ample evidence you offer that Apple/iOS are dragging their feet and are resistant (for whatever internal reasons) to letting PWAs offer a first class experience?

In other words, what forces, in your view, will eventually bring Apple over to full support for PWAs?

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