While having a lot of choices can be a good thing, sometimes it can be overwhelming. For example, there are thousands of IT tools available in the marketplace, with more launched every day. There just isn’t enough time to explore all of them, which is why reviews and recommendations are so valuable. For example, I encourage all of you to check out our “Master List” of the most useful IT tools, which is based on feedback from IT pros around the world.
It is also important to use criteria when evaluating different IT tools — otherwise, it’s likely that a purchase will be regrettable instead of rewarding. As we learned from our August poll, the 3 critical factors that influence the buying decisions for IT pros in our community are: ROI, Problem Solving and Implementation.
I’d like to add another aspect that, in my opinion, is as important as all of the above: usability! Frankly, if a tool isn’t user-friendly, then it’s part of the problem instead of the solution — especially if non-IT pros are expected to use it. In that case, it’s a foregone conclusion that adoption and usage rates will be very low.
And so, with all of the above factors in mind — especially usability — we can turn our attention to this month’s poll: do you prefer working with desktop apps or web-based apps?
Desktop Apps vs Web-Based
The debate over installed apps vs. web-based apps is a major issue these days — it might even be bigger than the other epic clashes on the IT landscape: Windows vs. Mac and iPhone vs. Android.
There are many categories for pros and cons, such as: cost, speed, security, accessibility, integration, compatibility and consistency. Most of the time, installed apps (also called native apps when installed on mobile devices) have different versions for various platforms. Alternatively, a good web-based app will basically be the same on every platform and device.
We’d love to know your preference, as well as your reason (or reasons) why.
Share Your Wisdom and Have a Chance to Win!
Please share your knowledge and experiences on this important topic. Also, simply by participating you’ll be automatically entered to win one of two $25 Amazon gift cards. We’ll highlight some of the responses and announce the winners early next month. Thank you in advance for participating and good luck!