On Monday, geeks from around the world watched with baited breath as Apple CEO Steve Jobs, in addition to announcing the 3G iPhone, gave a status update on iPhone 2.0 which will include 3rd party software apps.
They software apps they demo’d were awesome and showed the amazing breadth of what you’ll be able to do with the iPhone.
BUT… I wonder if all this interest in creating 3rd party software apps for the iPhone will quell interest in creating Web apps.
While the promise of iPhone software apps leaves me with glee, it also kind of bums me out. Why would you want to create something that can only be used on device?
I can’t imagine that Apple will ever license their iPhone software out to other hardware manufacturers. If you make a software app for the iPhone, it will always stay on the iPhone.
While the promise of the Web is that if the browser makers and the Web publishers both adhere to standards, you’ll have no problem using the content or application no matter what device your on.
The biggest problem with Web apps on the iPhone 1.0 was that the connection was too slow. You really desired for better interactivity and response when you did something. Well, having 3G in the iPhone should fix a lot of this.
I wonder if just like with the computer, where we saw a generation of apps first start off as software and then move to the Web (mail, office productivity), if we’ll see the same with mobile and the iPhone.
What do you think? If you were to create an app for the iPhone would you do it as a software or a Web app? If software, are you comfortable with being so silo’d?
Oatmeal Stout - Justin Thorp's blog 
If I were to create software for an iPhone, I would probably do it as a web app. Passing on 30% of your revenue to Apple just to be in their store is far, far too much.