Comment by asjw

5 years ago

I don't have to go full PWA to make useful apps

And don't have to go through an app store, creating an account, paying Apple, waiting for their opaque reviews and giving them 30% of whatever amount I make through my app.

Android has Firefox, thanks to Apple iOS doesn't.

4 comments

asjw

ocdtrekkie 5 years ago

I agree app stores need to face antitrust scrutiny... but websites having crazy types of permissions isn't the answer.

Web apps by default talk to an outside server, native apps by default do not. Native apps will always be the more private by default option.

untog 5 years ago
> Web apps by default talk to an outside server, native apps by default do not.
Huh? There is no permission prompt for native apps to be able to access the internet. By default they can (and definitely do!) talk to outside servers for analytics etc. It’s just that you can’t see them they way you do on the web.
- ocdtrekkie 5 years ago
  
  Actually, most app sandboxes have to request network access as a permission. Unfortunately most mobile OSes don't let you deny it at present. However, you have a lot of options for using network devices or inspection software to intervene and block requests on local machines. Meanwhile, once data is on a remote server, you have no control of it.
  Furthermore, native apps can be retained and often installed after they're no longer supported by their developer. Web apps vanish into the night, and leave you with nothing.
  
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