If you play online games, use an online photo editor, or rely on web-based services like Google Maps, Twitter, Amazon, YouTube or Facebook, then you’re an active resident in the wonderful world of web apps. What exactly is a web app, anyway? And why should we care?
The app is shorthand for an application. Applications are also called programs or software. Traditionally, they’ve been designed to do broad, intensive tasks like accounting or word processing. In the online world of web browsers and smart phones, apps are usually nimbler programs focused on a single task. Web apps, in particular, run these tasks inside the web browser and often provide a rich, interactive experience.
Google Maps is a good example of a web app. It provides helpful map features within a web browser. You can pan and zoom around a map, search for a college or cafe, and get driving directions, and so on. It pulls out all the information you need dynamically every time you ask for it.
This brings us to four virtues of web applications:
1. You can access data from anywhere.
In the traditional world of desktop applications, data is usually stored on computer’s hard drive. Suppose you are on vacation and leave the computer at home, then you cannot access the email, photos, or data when you need it. In the new world of web apps, all the data are stored online on the web, and you can get to it on a web browser from any computer that’s connected to the Internet.
2. You will always get the latest version of any app.
Which version of YouTube are you using today? What about tomorrow? The answer: Always the latest. Web apps update themselves automatically, so there’s always just one version: the latest version, with all the newest features and improvements. No need to manually upgrade to a new version every time. And you don’t have to go through a lengthy install process to use web apps.
3. It works on every device with a web browser.
In traditional computing, some programs work only on particular systems or devices. For instance, many programs written for Windows won’t work on a Mac. Keeping up with all the right software can be time-consuming and costly. In contrast, the web is an open platform. Anyone can reach it from a browser on any web-connected device, regardless of whether it’s a desktop computer, laptop, or smart phone.
4. It’s safer.
Web apps run in the browser and you never have to download them onto the computer. Because of this separation between the app code and the computer’s code, web apps can’t interfere with other tasks on the computer or the overall performance of the machine. This means that you are better protected from threats like viruses, malware, and spyware.