Web Apps Hit Mainstream
Josh Catone of Read Write Web writes that web apps have hit mainstream. Well, the APPLEBOX storefront is most definitely a web app, and I definitely want it to go mainstream! Quoting from the original whitepaper:
“Web apps need to solve practical problems. Users don’t care whether they’re using a web application or a traditional application; they just want to get on with their lives. The good news for web app companies is that there’s very little barrier to adoption of web apps. The challenging news is that users expect the apps to solve real-world problems. Web app companies must make sure they’re offering a service that users really care about, and must explain the benefits of it in terms users can understand.”
I’d say wandering aimlessly along isles of DVD covers is a without doubt a practical problem to solve! And APPLEBOX does that. But as per the above quote, my customers don’t really care how it’s done, as long as it’s painless for them and the solution is easily accessible.
I use all the latest and greatest in Web 2.0 techniques - XML, SOAP and Serverless AJAX all bound together with enough JavaScript to keep the most dedicated JavaScript guru happy. But is it any better than a standard website? Is it easier to use, than say browsing the mail-order catalogue of Quickflix?
My answer is of-course yes. What all the Web 2.0 techniques can deliver is a more engaging experience, more cohesive for the user, more interactive, better performance. Users don’t get disoriented, can get around the app quickly, and forget about the app and just look at the movies. And thats what APPLEBOX is all about - the content - the movies.