So you've decided that you want to create a software application. There is a ton of things that you'll need to decide, but one of the most important, is where your application is going to live.
Today's choice is:- Create an online Web Based Application?
or
- Create a typical Distributable Application?
Both have specific advantages and disadvantages we'll consider.
One of the biggest things to consider is the target audience for your application. If they all run Mac, building a Windows application isn't going to cut it.
Platform Independence:One of the biggest advantages to building a web based application is that you are not limited to any single OS (Operating System), and in fact, you are pretty much unlimited in terms of the OS's that you can support! (Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD, BlackBerry, iPhone, Other?)
On the other hand building an application for the OS world means picking a single OS, or using a technology that is OS independent like Java.
Software Piracy:This is an often overlooked aspect of software development. If you build a cool Windows based application, sooner or later someone will hack it and place the cracked version on the Internet to share with everyone. On the other hand, if you build a web based application, there is no CD/DVD or download that the user gets and thus they can't hack your code to create their own cracked version. In order to "copy" your application, they would need to get a hold of your source code (not easy), then host their own version on the public Internet (which costs money) at which point the legal battle to stop them is much easier than trying to track down thousands of copied CD's.
Device Independence:If you build a web application you can extend the client "reach" by being able to target more than one device. Sure, all of your clients will have a computer, but they may also have a smartphone (e.g. BlackBerry, iPhone, etc.) Being able to support multiple devices is a huge bonus for any application that you can build.
Remote Access:If you are out of your office, away from home, on vacation and want to access your application being able to access it online is the ultimate in flexibility.
Application Interaction:As a final note, having your application online makes the possibility of interacting with other online applications and sites an instant option in fact, the whole Internet is just waiting there to be tapped into.
The choice is all yours of course, however since this Blog is focused on Web Applications, lets presume that you've weighed the options and chosen to create a web based application that is accessible to all OS's, multiple browsers & many other devices.
Smart Move!
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