My Slow But Steady Journey From “Thick” Apps to Cloud Apps

As I said in an article I wrote for the Cutter IT Journal in May, if I had lost my PC’s connection to the Internet even as late as 1999 or 2000 it would have been an inconvenience, but if I lost it today the thing would be close to a brick as far as its use for me.

Times have changed.

I’ve migrated, slowly but steadily, from thick-client PC-based applications to cloud-based applications that run on my PC, my Android phone, and my iPad.

I still love the rich interaction and aptness of the interaction in a good thick app.  Even today the JavaScript etc. interactive tricks don’t hold a candle to a good local interaction with both UI/UX and business logic right nearby rather than a variable-latency roundtrip away.

But today I prize the ability to run on all my clients more than I prize the excellence of the interaction on any of them.  And that factor — the need for sync — has driven me inexorably toward cloud-based apps.

Some of which are quite good.  Don’t get me wrong.  Apps like ToodleDo and Zite and even some of the Twitter client stuff are getting there.  But I’m using them on one platform because I want to access them on all.

Thoughts on your app migration towards the cloud?