Desktop or Web App

When most of you here are using tools which do you prefer using a standalone desktop app or webapp.

In the past as I was getting started I used what was available which were desktop apps. But now thats there so many different devices to access the web with I'm leaning more towards a webapp thats available no matter the platform I'm on (PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Kindle Fire) you see what I'm saying.

Now I'm wondering if you can make a heavy duty proggie like scrapebox, senuke, or the like into a web app. But Im assuming you would sacrifice things like speed, and stability.

What are some of you guys and gals thoughts?

I think it depends on if it would be constantly accessed or not.

For example, when I run live chat on a website, I usually need to constantly access the chats. One service has both a web app and a desktop app, but I don't want to be forced to leave a tab open for it in my browser, and have to always stop what I'm doing and go back to that tab. So I prefer the desktop application so it's always in my tray and I can access it whenever I need to.

But for something I don't need to access for a long period of time every day, a web app is good. I use a web app to analyze and control my financial standing, and I don't need to have that open all day long of course. Logging in every once in a while in a browser is fine.

You also have to consider if the user would need to leave the application open. If you made a Scrapebox-like web app, then you would need to make sure your service would still run even if the tab was closed, else they would need to have the application open at all times, and a desktop application makes more sense.

There's no reason a desktop application can't also have a mobile/tablet version as well, as long as they all use the same centralized database. The live chat service I mentioned has a web app, desktop software, and mobile apps.

However, if you made a mobile app, you would definitely need to make sure, like the web app, that your service would run even when the app is closed, because no one is going to leave your app running and let it eat their battery and data.

artizhay those are all great points I hadn't thought of. anybody else have any thoughts?

It does depend on what it is.

If it's the sort of task that's going to require loads of proxies, saved campaigns etc, then I would prefer a web app and let the developer deal with that stuff.
If I want absolute control of stuffm then I prefer desktop

Really depends

Greay points from artizhay.

Scritty