Windows FORMS for Intranet instead of Web Based

Question

Can we implement a enterprise wide intranet application completely with WinForms instead of Browser based Web apps? What are pros and cons and which is preferred over other?

Answer 1

Some stuff on my mind:

WinForms Pros

• Richer user experience
• More responsive
• Usually easier to write interactive processes

Web App Pros

• Centralized maintenance (easy to update, ...)
• Centralized data access security
• Easier to access over the Internet and on the go
• Does not rely on anything except a browser on the client (so the client platform doesn't matter)

Answer 2

We developed a lot of winforms apps at the place I used to work. ClickOnce made things a lot easier in the case of deployment.