Using web technologies to create desktop applications

Question

Recently, the pace at which web browsers improved and implemented new technologies (e.g. HTML5) seemed to have accellerated considerably. At the same time, the tools for developing web applications, like e.g. jQuery, or the myriads of web frameworks have also made web development much easier.

Are we now at a point were it makes sense to develop a pure single-user desktop application using web technologies? Assuming we can just install the latest browser together with our application, we don't have to worry about compatibility with older browsers.

Answer 1

IMHO web based applications are the future. Currently there are applications that will take a very long time to get onto the web, like adobe products. The web will still need to advance a lot more before we get to that point.

Web browsers sill are behind the times and there is far too much browser share going to the browsers the don't support (or poorly support) such features as HTML5, CSS3, etc.

Cloud technologies are the way to go if you don't mind dealing with cross browser headaches. The best advantages to a client with cloud apps is that they can access it anywhere without downloading a thing.

But if you are referring to have a web based technology downloaded to the users desktop then you can use adobe air :)