從使用者角度看 Native app vs Web app

attribute to jessicagoslingphotography

昨日在 Matt Legend Gemmell 的 Blog 當中看到一篇討論 Native app 和 Web app 的文章，其切入點頗值的玩味，在這邊和各位分享。

文中主要將 app 分成四個類別：

1. 明確在瀏覽器內運行的應用。
2. 由 home screen 啟動，運行在特定瀏覽器中的應用 (在啟動上有 native app 的味道)。
3. 運行在 native app 當中的 web view 的應用。
4. 純 native app，沒有 HTML/CSS 的介面。

並將以上這四類大致分成「run within browser (1, 2類)」和「run within, or are native apps (3, 4類)」。接著作者以使用者的角度提出了關於「階層」對於使用情境影響的見解：

Frame of Interaction (互動的框架)

The core of the problem is that computing devices are already task-compromised.

It's about the hindrances that come from apps being virtual entities within unrelated, unspecialised physical devices.

簡單來說，其實我們在使用 app 做事情的時候 (不管是玩遊戲、寫 mail、查列車時刻，等等...)，app 本身跟承載他的物理裝置是沒有關連性的。

聽起來還是霧煞煞，所以作者舉了一個計算機的例子來看看「實體計算機」和「計算機 app」的差異。

「實體計算機」在認知上他就是拿來計算東西的物件，所以在其上進行一些計算動作來看，task 和 physical device 是有連結的；反之「計算機 app」是運行在「手機」上頭的，手機最單純的語意應該是拿來打電話的，因此，task (計算) 和 承載他的 physcial device (手機) 出現了一點隔閡。

也許你會想說，哪會有什麼隔閡，手機本來就可以拿來做一堆事情啊！不過，也許這是因為我們年輕世代已經習慣適應了這樣的轉換。最近我在教長輩使用電腦的時候，就常常遇到類似的問題，要跟他們充分解釋「為什麼瀏覽器可以拿來看影片、看新聞還可以玩遊戲」簡直是難上加難。

瞭解這個關係之後，接著作者提出的 frame of interaction 就容易理解了。簡單來說，實體計算機是 1 層，native app 是「手機裡包著應用」是 2 層，web app 是「手機裡包著瀏覽器，瀏覽器裡再包著應用」則是 3 層。

若要對長輩解釋這種層層包裹的關係更是難上加難。每多上一層，也就有更多的隔閡得突破。

We can cope with a surprisingly high degree of interaction frames, but we're not optimized for it.

The nesting of interaction frames is uncomfortable in itself, but browsers also introduce an additional dimension of difficulty.

Separation of Concerns (一次只做一件事)

這邊主要也是延伸上一個論點，強調人類被設計成「一次只專注一件事情」。若 app 運行於 web browser 之中，則會因為 browser 本身 multi-tasks 的環境，犧牲了 task-specific 的專注特質。

Humans are designed to focus the majority of our attention on a single task at a time.

If your app is running within a web browser, it's
automatically victim to a second-order version of the fundamental compromise of computing devices: the violation of one tool per task

System Integration (系統整合的優勢)

第三點所提及的在大多數的比較當中都有出現過：也就是 native 有較好的系統/硬體的整合能力，而 web 則有較佳的跨平台能力。有趣的是作者接下去提到的幾句話 (這大概很明白說明了作者是比較支持 native app 的)：

It's not just about technology, and certainly not just about economics. There's psychology to consider, specifically psychological distance

Apps feel designed. They feel tailored, and special. They're lean-back, on-the-go, crafted, targeted things. The immediate extension of these properties is how at home they feel

我想這邊的重點是 targeted things

They'll dip into your wallet for the privilege, of course, but it doesn't change the fact that your vegetables are in the supermarket and your novel is in the bookshop

想用 native 勢必得付出一些代價，但這並不會改變你去超市買菜、書店買書的事實，囧

When deploying on the web, from the user's perspective, you're probably starting with a disadvantage. There's cognitive load associated with your app being a bookmark instead of an experience, and there's an implicit trivialization which occurs in the user's mind. It's unfair, but it's a reality

好狠，只是一個書籤不是一種體驗...

各位覺得呢，Native app vs Web app，今晚你選哪一道？

... ...