Pointed out in a blog post by Alex Komoroske, Product Manager of Chromium (Google’s open source browser project), there’s been an ongoing, heated debate among developers about the capabilities of the Web versus a native platform.
So in an effort to show off the cutting edge capabilities of Web apps, Komoroske pulled together his favorite examples from the cutting edge of the web platform and recorded three screencasts to help friend—and others—meet the web platform again for the first time.
The first video, Building on Foundations, goes over how the web platform has been fixing various historical shortcomings and building upon its core strengths, like complicated graphical effects, composability, and advanced text layout.
The next video, Learning from Other Platforms, reviews how the web platform offers new capabilities inspired by successes on other (native) platforms with things like push notifications, payment APIs, and web intents.
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The last video, On the Cutting Edge, demonstrates some of the new tricks the web platform is learning, like webcam access, powerful audio APIs, and complicated 3D graphics.
If you’re interested in learning more about the technology behind any of the demos, check out the Meet the Web Platform companion guide.
I hope these videos capture your imagination and begin to show what is possible on the web platform. The web platform is evolving at an enormous pace, and I just can’t wait to see where it goes next!
Critics are quick to point out that emerging technologies like HTML5 won’t become standard for a while now, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be embraced with proper caution. Overall, the Web has already built itself into a powerful, highly flexible platform, and comparing it to iOS or Android isn’t really necessary.
Not only are the two platforms complimentary, but they also balance each other out. The Web thrives as an alternative to hyper-managed app stores, and efforts like Google’s Chrome Web Store builds the platform out more than ever before.
What are your thoughts on the future of the Web as a platform? Feel free to share them in the comments below!
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