We (finally) see the tech industry take critical notice of Apple's closed nature. Most recently over the draconian terms they announced for publisher subscriptions. Of course, I've been self-selecting my articles ever since I heard about Apple's predatory application of the severely closed iOS/iTunes paradigm onto Mac software at large with the Mac App Store. I remember a couple of Apple (one a former employee) buds trying to sell me on it - first extolling the value of a search-able directory of apps with ratings and reviews; less than 5 minutes into the conversation they were complaining about poor App Store search results. Good thing there's an app for that.
This is not totally new. Open source has been fighting the open war (very well) for a while. There are well-known battle plans on both the proprietary side and the open side. Some on both sides want to see their "enemies" destroyed, but some of us think open source has "won" by simply creating and sustaining open products and opportunities - not necessarily destroying proprietary software.
The struggle for Open Web over proprietary Apps is simply an evolution of this struggle of open vs. proprietary. (Personally, I moved from SourceForge.net to Mozilla because I want to be on these new "front lines.") There are signs that the tide may turn in favor of Open Web Apps for Mobile and why not? We saw this already with the victory of the open web over closed networks like AOL, CompuServe, Prodigy, etc.
As much as I'd like to, I'm not predicting the demise of the App Store along the lines of CompuServe & Prodigy. I'm voicing my dissent from the closed status quo and appealing for a more open approach; at least a pro-open perspective. If you're making web apps, build them with open web technologies. Instead of making native mobile apps, make your web apps kick ass on all devices with HTML5, and only go to an App when you really need device-specific features like cameras and accelerometers.
UPDATE: Mobile Europe has a good article on HTML5 & App co-existence.
That's all.
danu
2011-03-05 10:41:13 -0600
