>Depends on the size of the user. However, with the tendency towards SaaS based applications, the shift is squarely to hosted applications. Most of our typical users have little or no IT literacy or expertise. Their networks (if they exist) can be oddly configured. To simply connect to their application via a browser and not have to worry about backing up their data and whether their IT infrastructure passes muster is very attractive to users. Also, it means they can work from home or from their clients' premises or even off-line when on the train. They can re-sync their data when they have an internet connection back.

So, if the app is running in the browser and they aren't connected, where is that modified data stored? Cookies can't store enough data.