Yes, that is true. Browser or not really becomes secondary. For many apps, there really is no question whether an app is an "internet app" or not. For the new apps, they all are. And they also work offline, which will never work in a HTML-browser app (or only with a huge amount of effort and lots of related problems).

Of course, like I said, there are many scenarios where HTML apps are still cool (the UT for instance), but for business apps, I'd go a different route. And especially for something like an accounting app, it is somewhat unlikely that you will have people on a Mac hit it.

Markus



>I don't think that mantaining a tie to Microsoft's only technology would be a goob business decision, but I'm aware of your point. I checked for the definirion of "smart client" in wikidedia and came to this:
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>"A "Smart Client" application can be created in several very different technologies. The original use of the term in the context of the web was Isomorphic Software's SmartClient product (they own the SmartClient.com domain), which uses an Ajax-based, cross-browser cross-platform approach. Subsequently Microsoft began using the terminology to refer to .NET applications delivered via the Internet Explorer browser to Windows XP. The terms "Rich Internet Application" (RIA) and "rich web application" are essentially synonymous with "Smart Client", and are used to refer to several other technological approaches including Flash and Java applets.
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>The Smart Client approach came about because when businesses tried to develop web applications to replace their old desktop applications, user productivity decreased. This was because web-based user interfaces based on server-side HTML generation are typically not as responsive, have fewer hot keys and require more use of the mouse, etc."
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>Anyway I agree with you if the advice is to develop a RIA instead of a web browser application (note that many RIA's can run ALSO in the browser)
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>Regards
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>>>> I'd rewrite thw whole application into something that runs in a web
>>>> server and a browser. I think that the era of desktop applications is
>>>> gone forever.
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>>I really wouldn't agree with that. Many of the advantages of browser apps are now available in smart client world. This is especially true with Vista and .NET 3.0.
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>>There sure are scenarios that are great for browser apps (eCommerce for instance), but there are many many scenarios that are better suited for a smart client (like an accounting app, which is what we are discussing here).
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>>So to me, the "all browser app generation" is yesterday's news. Smart client, and next generation UI is today.
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>>Markus