On Tue, 12 Oct 2004, Karsten Hilbert wrote: ... > > In the meantime, I wonder what are the critical differences that > > impede your efficiency? > A browser cannot access card readers unless quite > sophisticated add-on code is installed locally.
Karsten, What about USB-accessible cards? Most operating systems have built-in support to read from these. > A browser does not offer sophisticated entry tools without > requiring a lot of add-on code being installed locally. Specifically, what do you mean by "sophisticated entry tools"? > A browser most of the time makes using screen real estate > efficiently and consistently hard for the programmer (unless > add-on code is installed locally). Absolute coordinate / xy placement are now supported without add-on code. You might want to look at and play with the drag-and-drop elements: http://www.walterzorn.com/dragdrop/dragdrop_e.htm > Then, why not install a "conventional" application if one has > to install code locally anyways ? 1) It remains easier to install/upgrade a few new web-browsers than all the desktop (conventional) applications. 2) It becomes increasingly unnecessary to install additional code locally as web-browsers incorporate additional functionalities. > > Would new browser features such as "access keys" > > (http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/forms/accesskey.html) change your > > opinion? > No. If they are under the control of the "application" running > inside a browser they can potentially conceptually compromise > browser security. Desktop applications can just as easily (if not even more easily) compromise system security. > If they are under the control of the browser executing the "application" > assignment of key to action is arbitrary. Typically, there is an option to abided by application's "recommended" key-assignment or to override them. This is the same for browser and desktop applications. > Pick your poison. Browser-based applications are no panacea. However, it is possible for them to approach the behavior of current desktop applications. Note that there is a time-lag between having capable browsers and having web-applications make use of the features. > Something a browser interface IS suited for is *displaying* > drug information for perusal. That's a start. :-) Care2002, OIO, OSCAR, FreeMed etc are web-based and do more than displaying drug information. Someday, they may even become speedy enough to satisfy your time-performance requirements, especially if these requirements are measurable. Best regards, Andrew --- Andrew P. Ho, M.D. OIO: Open Infrastructure for Outcomes www.TxOutcome.Org
