Hey Apple, are you listening? Web apps suck!

[DiscoJoey]

http://www.iphonealley.com/news/iphone-benchmarked

Ever wish you could benchmark your iPhone? The clever folks at furbo.org have done the work for you and managed to give the iPhone a run for its money. So what exactly did the test entail? The benchmark was run on both a Core Duo iMac and an iPhone. The test was designed to see how much slower the iPhone is at executing JavaScript. But it doesn't stop there. After running the JavaScript benchmark, they then ran a test to compare the speed of a web app to an app running natively on the iPhone. Details after the jump!


The JavaScript benchmark turned out just as you might think. After comparing speeds on the iPhone to a Core Duo iMac, it turns out the the iPhone is a pitiful 80 times slower than the iMac. 80 times! If you don't believe it, the benchmark is available from furbo.org for you to try on your own.


Now the interesting part. What happens when you compare the speed of a JavaScript web-app to a native application running on the iPhone. It's really no big surprise. The native app whooped the JavaScript app's butt. By how much, you ask? You'd better be sitting for this one. According to the benchmarks, native applications are 700-900% faster than JavaScript apps. Take that, Apple. I just hope that someone on the iPhone team sees this.

Hey Apple, are you listening? Web apps suck!

_______

Well i have to agree, web based app SUCK! i want REAL native apps!

 

[katra]

you hit the nail right on the head !


WEB APPS SUCK !

 

[Conan]

http://www.iphonealley.com/news/iphone-benchmarked

Ever wish you could benchmark your iPhone? The clever folks at furbo.org have done the work for you and managed to give the iPhone a run for its money. So what exactly did the test entail? The benchmark was run on both a Core Duo iMac and an iPhone. The test was designed to see how much slower the iPhone is at executing JavaScript. But it doesn't stop there. After running the JavaScript benchmark, they then ran a test to compare the speed of a web app to an app running natively on the iPhone. Details after the jump!


The JavaScript benchmark turned out just as you might think. After comparing speeds on the iPhone to a Core Duo iMac, it turns out the the iPhone is a pitiful 80 times slower than the iMac. 80 times! If you don't believe it, the benchmark is available from furbo.org for you to try on your own.


Now the interesting part. What happens when you compare the speed of a JavaScript web-app to a native application running on the iPhone. It's really no big surprise. The native app whooped the JavaScript app's butt. By how much, you ask? You'd better be sitting for this one. According to the benchmarks, native applications are 700-900% faster than JavaScript apps. Take that, Apple. I just hope that someone on the iPhone team sees this.

Hey Apple, are you listening? Web apps suck!

_______

Well i have to agree, web based app SUCK! i want REAL native apps!

I think Apple already knows this and are doing it to get on our nerves lol

 

[burningjoe]

who in there right mind would think that an actual Dual Core Computer (mac or PC) wired or wireless would not be faster than a small device that you put in your pocket? Why would you benchmark against something that is so obviously out of league with each other?

 

[iphonenut]

who in there right mind would think that an actual Dual Core Computer (mac or PC) wired or wireless would not be faster than a small device that you put in your pocket? Why would you benchmark against something that is so obviously out of league with each other?

The term Apples and oranges comes to mind.

why don't we go ahead and compare a PSP to a regular old corporate server?

Oh, and i'm quite happy with web apps.

 

[ps49556n]

Web apps really have a lot of potential to elevate iPhone from just being unique to a device that functions more and more like a handheld computer.


I am very surprised that at this point more apps have not been developed by companies such as google and Apple for that matter.

 

[propynyl]

Web apps really have a lot of potential to elevate iPhone from just being unique to a device that functions more and more like a handheld computer.

Come on...say it with me..."W-E-B A-P-P-S S-U-C-K"
You'll feel a lot better once you do!

 

[katra]

How in the ******** world can someone like stupid web Apps ?


they are plain stupid, if you got no signal you cant use them, and even if you have 5 bars they still suck!


we need Native Apps...we need Native Apps...we need Native Apps... we need Native Apps...we need Native Apps...we need Native Apps... we need Native Apps...we need Native Apps...we need Native Apps...

 

[Silverado]

A few comments:

I agree with burningjoe and iPhonenut, who thought the iPhone could compete with a core duo machine?

But more importantly, the fact that a JavaScript code runs slower than native code is not a valid argument against web apps for a few reason. First, the web apps that Apple is pushing are AJAX-based applications. In these applications most of the work is done on the server and the results are sent to the iPhone to be displayed. Therefore, JavaScript is needed for a small fraction of the processing requirements of the application. Second, a large number of applications that are needed do not require a lot of speed and will function just fine as a web apps. If anything, your bottleneck is probably going to be the data speed and not JavaScript. For things like graphics-heavy games, for example, you'll need all the processing power you can get and native applications are a must.

I am actually quite impressed by some well-programmed applications for the iPhone, for example Scenario Pocker: http://iPhone.scenario.com. It is hard to tell that this is a web app!

I'm not saying that web apps can do it all for the iPhone, but I'm saying that JavaScript speed is not a valid argument against them.

 

[x999x]

The first thing to consider is that we're talking about a mobile device, and understand it's limitations and the balance between performance and battery life.

Now that the obvious is out of the way, it's disheartening to hear how much better a native app performed at doing the same function as it's web app counterpart.

I would hope that Apple licenses it's SDK to developers with the intention of starting an official software market for the iPhone, similar to Games on the iPod. I personally have no problem if all native apps are only offered from Apple/iTunes, so long as they do give me the capability to put this phone to more use.

 

[monkeysrock0622]

who in there right mind would think that an actual Dual Core Computer (mac or PC) wired or wireless would not be faster than a small device that you put in your pocket? Why would you benchmark against something that is so obviously out of league with each other?

exactly! for one thing was it using EDGE or wifi? that alone makes a HUGE difference and if you were using EDGE then it wasn't Apples fault its AT&T's fault. plus on a regular computer, the speed it runs online at is partially determined by the internet service provider. if you arent happy with the iPhone's web, then why don't you just go back to using a blackberry or w/e you use and browse the REGULAR internet on that....oh wait....you cant. the iPhone is the only one that can. so instead of complaning about something that is still being worked on, why don't you just keep your mouth shut and wait for them to fix it, and if they don't fix it then youll just have to get over it. (sorry if i was too harsh.)

 

[Silverado]

... so instead of complaning about something that is still being worked on, why don't you just keep your mouth shut and wait for them to fix it, and if they don't fix it then youll just have to get over it. (sorry if i was too harsh.)

Wow, don't complain now and don't complain later. If all customers were so placid, no company would ever improve any product.