I haven't found Android UI to be that much better than html and the rest, you still have to say where everything goes and then write the code to tell it what to do.
Browsers are at a disadvantage because they need to have a ton of security built in because people casually go to websites, whether or not they are malicious, but are more hesitant to download an app. Also if an app is malicious it can be removed from the store, taking down a website on the other hand is not an easy feat.
Android layout is so much saner than CSS layout though. The different Android layout models make it really easy to specify complex arrangements and the Android tools make wiring up behavior a lot easier. Compared to the mess that is cross-browser CSS it's a breeze.
Maybe it's just me but I also find that Java's static type checking eliminates a lot of the dumb mistakes I tend to make in JS/Ruby/Python.
Things are definitely getting better in HTML5 land but it's still a crap sandwich compared to a good native platform. I hope in five years I won't have to say that anymore.
Comments
I haven't found Android UI to be that much better than html and the rest, you still have to say where everything goes and then write the code to tell it what to do.
Browsers are at a disadvantage because they need to have a ton of security built in because people casually go to websites, whether or not they are malicious, but are more hesitant to download an app. Also if an app is malicious it can be removed from the store, taking down a website on the other hand is not an easy feat.
Android layout is so much saner than CSS layout though. The different Android layout models make it really easy to specify complex arrangements and the Android tools make wiring up behavior a lot easier. Compared to the mess that is cross-browser CSS it's a breeze.
Maybe it's just me but I also find that Java's static type checking eliminates a lot of the dumb mistakes I tend to make in JS/Ruby/Python.
Newer browsers (like mobile Safari and Android Webkit) have better layout support, such as http://www.w3.org/TR/css3-flexbox (the flexible box model).
Things are definitely getting better in HTML5 land but it's still a crap sandwich compared to a good native platform. I hope in five years I won't have to say that anymore.