Ask HN: What are things desktop applications do that web apps can't?

2 points by theterriblestid 6y ago ↗ HN

For example: controlling the mouse, which can't be done from a browser for security reasons.

5 comments

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consultutah 6y ago ↗

Process extremely large amounts of local data quickly.

theterriblestid 6y ago ↗

True, is that why Adobe does things the way it does?

cloudking 6y ago ↗

Fully interact with the operating system API/SDK, not just a subset of it.

nineteen999 6y ago ↗

Heavyweight media creation applications; eg. Blender/ZBrush, Substance Designer/Painter, Avid MC, ProTools, Adobe Premier/AfterEffects, UE4 Editor.

I always get a chuckle out of web programmers who think that because they can do their entire job out of a few web apps, that everyone else can too.

fuzzfactor 6y ago ↗

Well, you can streamline & integrate an entire office's financial, scientific, engineering, marketing, sales, recordkeeping, paperwork, HR, and internal communication and it can be done with the utmost security & reliability when there is no wireless and no connection to the web whatsoever.