Problems with Delivering Applications via the Browser | 5Distance from the Desktop
Due in part to the web security model (which restricts access
to the user’s machine), applications that run in the browser
often do not support the type of user interactions with the
operating system that people expect from applications. For
example, you cannot drag a file into a browser-based applica-
tion and have the application act on that file. Nor can the
web application interact with other applications on the user’s
computer.
RIAs have tried to improve on this by making richer, more
desktop-like interfaces possible in the browser, but they have
not been able to overcome the fundamental limitations and
separation of the browser from the desktop.
Primarily Online Experience
Because web applications are delivered from a server and do
not reside on the user’s machine, web applications are a pri-
marily online experience. While there are attempts under-
way to make offline web-based applications possible, they do
not provide a consistent development model and they fail to
work across different browsers or require additional exten-
sions to the browser to be installed by the user. In addition,
they often require the user to interact with and manage their
application and browser in complex and unexpected ways.
Lowest Common Denominator
Finally, as applications become richer and more complex and
begin to push the boundaries of JavaScript and DHTML,
developers are increasingly faced with differences in browser
functionality and API implementations. While these issues
can often be overcome with browser-specific code, they lead
to code that’s more difficult to maintain and scale, and takes
time away from function-driven development of feature
functionality.