Meta trends - what have we learned?

Posted by Alexander Deliyannis
Dec 26, 2013 at 08:30 AM

jimspoon wrote:
>So it seems like there’s a been shift from
>developing of programs for desktop os, to development of webapps and
>apps for mobile os. As Dr. Andus indicated this shift has involved some
>dumbing down. I suppose as mobile and web platforms become more
>powerful and sophisticated, we can expect to see more sophisticated
>outliner / pim / notetaking apps for these platforms.

I don’t think that the lack of sophistication of software has to do with the lack of power in platforms, at least in respect to the web. One can do anything on the web; at the end of the day, they are client-server applications, with server platforms being much more powerful and sophisticated than their desktop counterparts.

I really think that the issue here is the business model. Privately developed applications are becoming more ‘dumbed down’ because their owners/developers can’t afford the risk of making them more sophisticated, whereas those who have the means invest in what they believe can become mainstream.

Steve Z. provided the excellent example of Tinderbox. I would add Zoot: consider its sophistication (it’s actually many applications in one), greatly due to the connectivity expected in the contemporary context; I can only sympathise with Tom Davis.