I think this thread from three years ago shows why apps took off on iOS.
My current prediction is that HTML5 and modern web standards (responsive design, vector graphics, zero-plugin design) will eventually crush native apps.
The fact is that the web is still somewhat primitive and the HTML5 standard won't be complete until 2014. By the time HTML6 starts to roll out native apps will have gone the way of the Dodo. Steve Jobs actually fought hard to prevent native apps and the App Store from happening in the first place.
It is also unfair to blame the iPad when incompetent web developers force crappy designs on mobile devices. The full WebKit rendering engine and the Nitro JavaScript engine have been available since the beginning. There is no reason the full user experience can't be made available on mobile devices.
My current prediction is that HTML5 and modern web standards (responsive design, vector graphics, zero-plugin design) will eventually crush native apps.
The fact is that the web is still somewhat primitive and the HTML5 standard won't be complete until 2014. By the time HTML6 starts to roll out native apps will have gone the way of the Dodo. Steve Jobs actually fought hard to prevent native apps and the App Store from happening in the first place.
It is also unfair to blame the iPad when incompetent web developers force crappy designs on mobile devices. The full WebKit rendering engine and the Nitro JavaScript engine have been available since the beginning. There is no reason the full user experience can't be made available on mobile devices.