This is somewhat all over the place without a lot of supporting evidence.
Is the author suggesting that the web will die, and be replaced by thousands of special purpose apps that must be downloaded from the app store?
Is the author suggesting that the web will die, and be replaced by thousands of special purpose apps that must be downloaded from the app store?
Devices provide higher levels of abstraction from the tweak and tunables on the system, but only now are we seeing devices where there is no easy way to actually write code for them, on them. You can't write an iphone app on an actual iphone, and I don't know if you can compile an apk on Android (I know Java ides on Android exist, though).
About the only thing you can do is write web pages you can open locally. That still works. And I don't see walled apps overtaking the expanse of the internet - there is just too much content and experience only found surfing old crummy html documents you won't get on your walled garden facebook app experience. And Android is taking the smartphone market, while being relatively open for a platform with the rooting and loading of any apk you want (if you set the option).
Ah, very good point.
Well, today's devices still lack the hacking essentials: pointer/mouse/variant, keyboard, large screen ; maybe a decade of advance will give us usable virtual keyboards/pointers/what-have-you, projection displays on all handhelds and THEN no manufacturer will able to hold back the onslaught of development environments that penetrate the walled gardens.
The real breakpoint is that you can't build software for the device on the device anymore, with the exception of web apps.
Right, but that's because the open source programmers don't see the point; if it's already a hassle to find and buy the proper hardware to turn your device into a full-blown ergonomic development environment, they figure it's not worth the effort to even think about software.
But if devices already come with easy to use virtual interfaces -- Google Glasses seems to solve the big screen problem, now we just need a virtual keyboard and mouse idea -- it's only a matter of time before veteran hackers say "This is ripe for a community, let's crack this baby open".
Most likely they will do creative stuff involving grabbing some remote VMs and building systems where the underlying computer is not so relevant.
Trying to fit all media and information into one giant walled garden would be far too challenging for a single entity.
Three years ago the iPad didn't even exist.
There is huge value in having a standard, indexed repository of information like the www. If I want to find some specific information I don't want to have to find and download a specific app every time.