First, for full disclosure. Personally, web together and the “generative” personal computer is something I value strongly.  Both gave me the incredible rush that I can do it. Me and my friends can do it. The same kind of DIY energy of punk rock and early hip hop. The company I work for shares my affection for the open Web.  Of course, I do not like statements like “the web is dead” So; what is the differences between web and apps? First, the web is – at least in principle – genuinely open. If you have an Internet connection, a browser and an URL, off you go. An app has to be distributed, downloaded and installed. Furthermore, depending of your app platform of choice, there are several potential  points of control between you as a user and the app developer.

I guess most user does not care about that as long as things work. At least good iPhone and Android apps can have great usability. Nevertheless, there are downsides. First, apps get updates. You can of course ignore the messages, and I have to say that an update seldom provides eye striking new functionality. Second, reading news in apps is like being back on paper. There is no outbound links. We have this wonderful thing, and suddenly we accept to be limited to one magazine or newspaper.

I am a Mac user. I have two, and an Iphone and an iPad. The iPhone has a great email client, runs good RSS-readers, Instapaper, Kindle, Dropbox (a USB-stick in the sky),  Things, calendar and of course web browsers. The same goes for the Mac; great email clients, browsers, rss-readers etc etc. A great looking slide deck ends with “API first. Think service, not app” (I haven’t heard the voice over, but enjoys Lego slides). Tripit has an iPhone app but more importantly an API for my calendars. RSS is something that makes me able to pick the voices I want to listen to.

So, if the web is dying because of apps we are all losing. At least the one of us who loves the the concept of the URL and openness. I really hope not we end up in a situation as before 1994.