in this article, writer Evan Hansen discusses the topic of apps vs. the web and judging by the title you can tell which team he is on. here are some of his main points:

apps:

+ popular and do somethings better than the web
+ offers developers greater design control and access to some hardware features that browsers can’t touch.
+ users get big performance enhancements and better responsiveness.
- apps require approval by third parties

web:

+ makes it very easy to share, link, embed, cut and paste, bookmark, search – in short, everything that makes content useful in the web-enhanced world.
+ readers are no longer just consumers – they are participants and creators in their own right, and they are empowered.
+ web is based on standards, giving developers the benefit of a write once, run anywhere environment.
+ websites can be published without restraint
+ using HTML, JavaScript and CSS, designers can already match in the browser many of the design improvements of customized reader apps, without their limitations.

essentially Hansen shows how apps are good in certain ways but that the web is irreplaceable and is actively closing the gap between the two. Hansen proves that the  web will overcome.

personally i think the exclusivity of apps are what makes them so popular. that they are like tools in a tool belt or extra little jewels in a jewelry box. the fact that they are so specific make them more appealing. also with the catch phrase, “there’s an app for that,” only increases its popularity. the web is so abundant with information and ever increasing possibilities. reading this article made me more aware of this fact and the impact the web has on our society. overall i agree with Hansen’s argument.
THE WEB FTW.

to read all of Evan Hansen’s article click here: http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/08/how-the-web-wins/.