I am really disappointed with the web's definitions of these terms, maybe my next stop will be with revising some of those Wikipedia entries. Here are my definitions, let me know what you think.
Web-based: working inside your internet browser instead of on your computer.
Webware: (web + software coined from the site webware.com) are web-based applications that run on the internet inside your internet browser vs software which is installed on your computer and runs on your computer.
WebApps: (web + applications) is another name for webware
See Web 2.0 Directories & Ranking for a list of WebApps & Webware
Widget: a 3rd party webapp tool embedded into a web page. Example: A calculator in your iGoogle or My Yahoo start page)
Webdesk: (I made up this word, this is a project I am working on see www.netvibes.com/webdesk) this is an online suite or collection of tools organized together to create a virtual web-based desktop of webapps and webware.
Example: Microsoft Word is software that is installed on your computer and is computer-based vs Google Docs or Zoho Writer which are web-based word processors that are run inside your internet browser an online instead of on your computer.
Benefits: I have 3 computers. The mac I am issued at work, my Desktop PC in my home office, and my old laptop for surfing the web while watching TV. Instead of me saving my lesson plans on a jump drive and swapping them around from one computer to the next or sendig emails with attachments back and forth to myself, I use Google Docs - a free web-based word process. This webware allows me to work at one WebApps like my Google Docs have made my life much easier and productive.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Let me add my clarifications,
ReplyDeleteWebApp or Web Applications ar software which is executed over the Web and runs either or both in the server or within the users' browser. Nothing is instaled on the user's computer unlike traditional software applications.
Webware or Web Software is the same as WebApp
Cloudware or Cloud Software is the same as WebApp. Cloud also means the Internet
Widget is just a component, a part of an entire application with specific functionality. For example you have a web application called Personal Planner, within that planner there is a drop down calendar component, then that mini calendar component is called a widget. You know in computing, softwares are built in a modular fashion that is why the entire app is composed of components interacting on each other to provide specific functionalities.
The counterpart of widgets in our traditional desktop software especially in programming are called components, classes, libraries or controls.