On Apr 29, 2008, at 1:25 PM, Vishal Iyer wrote:
> The browser until now has been primarily an information exchange
> application, hence the bookmarks, back button, refresh, history etc.
> With the rapid increase in task based applications over the web, the
> next generation browser (and front-end scripting) will potentially
> further reduce the gap between online and installed apps.
We're certainly seeing a blurring of the old distinctions between
browser-based and installed applications. Installed ("native") apps
often have embedded HTML controls, use underlined blue text to
indicate command or navigation options, and so on. Rich browser-based
applications provide local interactivity without reloading pages, or
even a strong notion of a "page". And "site-specific browsers" like
Fluid (http://www.fluidapp.com) add a new twist.
I wonder, though, how users' understanding of how things usually work
on Web sites affect their expectations in browser-based applications,
and how that impacts usability of those applications. For example,
drag-and-drop is ubiquitous in native apps, especially on the Mac, but
uncommon (although increasing) among Web-based apps. A similar
situation exists with shortcut keys, modal dialogs, and toolbars with
labeled (or unlabeled) icons. However, toolkits like Ext (http://extjs.com/
) appear to be leading us to reproduce the UI conventions of native
apps in browser-based applications.
In browser-based applications, we also have the possibility of users
being confused about whether they're controlling the app or the
browser. For example, does pressing Command-S (or Ctrl-S) tell my Web-
based word processor to save my document, or does it tell my browser
to save the page? If the app has its own menu and toolbar, won't that
make it a lot harder to support, since we'd constantly have to be
making a distinction between the app's controls and the browser's
controls ("which 'save' button do I click?")?
Apps like Backpack and Basecamp from 37 Signals are, in my opinion,
pretty usable, although they don't look at all like their desktop
counterparts. Instead, they follow Web conventions for the most part,
with client-side interactions where they really usability.
So my questions for the list are:
1) Does making browser-based applications behave like native apps
enhance their usability?
2) Does the answer to question #1 vary based on what kind of
application it is, or who's using it?
3) Is it reasonable to expect users to abandon or at least suppress
their Web-based expectations when using browser-based applications?
For example, is it OK to expect them not to use the back button, not
to open links in new tabs or windows, not to bookmark pages, etc.?
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