Said days in an interview of the news station CNBN to the American technology investor Roger McNamee before some:
“Apple is just killing the World Wide Web.”
It alludes to the fact that Apple App net curtain model (iPhone, iPad & Mac) could displace the open and free Web on a long-term basis. My opinion to the topic looks somewhat differently.
Owing to Microsoft 10 years stop in the Web
By the long supremacy of the IE6 there were approximately 10 years long hardly new techniques in the World Wide Web. By the increasing success of other browsers and the new HTML5 standard the development takes up straight trip. Even Microsoft gave up its stonewalling and with the IE9 even a relatively good browser brought out, which concerns the compatibility of the new technical possibilities. With HTML5 things are possible in the browser, which were possible with native Apps otherwise only. In particular the Usability and the Design of applications can profit of it. And even if one decides for pure Web a App strategy like we – on sides Apple devices one does not lose or only few users. With that safari has Apple also one of the most modern browsers, so that applications of Web can play there also on eye level with the Apps.
Platform independence
If I a App develop or buy am bound I in both cases to the will of the platform owner. I can sell the App in the case of Apple only in the App net curtain. Old history: if Apple does not please which I developed it not taken up and I have in vain developed. The risk carries the developer or offerer of the App.
On the other side the customer stands. This knows e.g. one iPad App only on iPad used. Not on the PC, not on the Mac, not on devices of other manufacturers. It is thus firmly bound to this platform or must buy with a change completely new software. With a good Web application that is not topic. Here each offerer can publish its products in the free WWW. There is no Türsteher, which can force upon one controlled or its interests. One sets now additionally to its iPhones some Blackberry does not have one not to hope that the offerer keeps an appropriate App available.
Marketing and selling
Many developers are the opinion that the App net curtain removes the marketing and the selling and the Apps as from alone sells themselves. „Gold fever “in the first weeks and months of the App net curtain has these thinks very strongly coined/shaped. Naturally there are examples, in which a developer in its spare time built a small App and thus within short time became rich. Which many thereby forget: that is not by far the rule. When the AppStore had only 100 Apps and the newest topic in the press was, there was simply a crazy relationship between supply and demand. Meanwhile it gives according to Apple over 200.000 Apps – it will get the necessary attention thus also in the App net curtain ever more with difficulty. The further the offer in the App net curtain develops, it becomes the more similar the open Web in Punkto marketing. It is not enough to be then any longer only there, but one must operate also on other channels marketing. Who is not mentioned straight on the starting side or in its category right at the top thereby is, goes fast under in the mass.
The simple completion is the however position
In the selling and/or the completion however it looks still differently. Apple creates what does not function in the Web so far yet well with the App net curtain: a simple and transparent completion during the sales process. And Apple can be paid. Apple requires 30% of the purchase price for the account. But the developer with all these annoying topics does not have to do anything. Also for the developer the App net curtain makes the completion simple and problem-free.
In the Web looks differently. All „E-Payment admitted “solutions, which are offered in Germany, to me are expensive and complicated. Either one strikes oneself with the terrible solutions of the Payment providers or Payment of central men rumm or one necessarily gladly times an amount of five figures for its own certification. Only then one may store the Kredikartendaten with itself and does not lead her not at one of the large offerers through. On customer side the completion is anyway a leidiges topic. In each Onlineshop, with Ebay or as software as A service customer one must deposit and keep its payment dates current. For the market of the end customers PayPal is meanwhile far common, but for clients that is usually no option. No spreading, no against-turning payments and so on.
If someone offers a simple and concerning the price fair system here, the last advantage of the App also still took care of itself net curtains. However most payment models in the WWW failed so far because of the complexity. Still none the rules and the technical arrears of the financial markets could adjust. Example obligingly/pleasingly? The DTAUS procedure of 1976 is this very day the standard, in order to draw in debit payments.
No reason to the panic
The WWW as open platform for everyone is far away of a displacement by Apple `s App net curtain. With new technologies like for example HTML5 and its platform independence it is that or the App net curtain (s) problem-free grown.
Than the App net curtain the methods of some offerers or web page operators are many more dangerous. Most prominent German example in the connection is probably the picture newspaper. iPad get no messages call user the bild.de with one to see. Instead one is forced to the download of the App – which are first 7 days free of charge, then one pays for contents in the Web is free of charge available. These methods are on the one hand naturally pure Verar the typical picture reader, on the other hand in addition, a danger for the free Web. If soeine handling common is harmful for the free Web. Picture is not unfortunately already any longer alone with the strategy.