April 3, 2007

Programming Applications: When to Go Browser and When to go Software

As an end user we use what we're given. If the service is online, we use it through our browsers. If it comes on a CD, we dutifully install it on our computers.

What about those creating the applications? How can they decide on what platform to make the software available?

If you're a company that creates software and are considering if your software should be available through a web browser or as software install on a PC, what should you do.

ZDNet's Ryan Stewart offers a guide into how to decide what's best for you.

One of his five tips for deploying in a browser include:

- You need the barrier of entry to be low. Browsers are convenient, you browse to an address, and the application is right at your fingertips. When you want users to try something out, or get started quickly, a browser application is the way to go.

One of this five tips for deploying as software include:

- You want your application to be front and center for your users. Browsers crash, often times users have multiple tabs open and there's a lot of clutter in the browser. When your application has to be accessible outside of that, a desktop application is the way to go.

Check out the full article from ZD Net here.

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