Computer programs are outdated: what to use instead

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Look at your Start menu or Dock and think about which desktop programs you really need and how many don't have a good web alternative yet. Unless you're into film editing or graphic design, chances are it's time for you to say goodbye to computer applications.

Five years ago, web applications were slow and often buggy, had too limited functionality, and lacked the ability to work offline. Today Wi-Fi is available almost everywhere, and in terms of functionality, Internet programs are not inferior to desktop versions.

Think of computer applications that seem impossible to let go. Microsoft Office? It has a free online version, and Google Docs is more convenient to use. Audio player? Join the streaming revolution: the world's most popular service, Spotify, has an updated web player for you to use. There are not as many additional features in the Internet version as in the program on a computer, but consider if you really need all of them.

The answer is simple: no, they are not needed.

Of course, if you play computer games or do serious creative work, then some programs will be needed. But most people will be able to painlessly abandon all of them.

Search for alternatives

Some web apps - Office 365, Google Docs, Spotify - have already been named.

Let's start with office suites: Apple, Microsoft and Google products have free online versions that run from a browser. What can we say about more modern services, such as Dropbox Paper.

If you haven't switched from a desktop email client to a cloud-based one like Gmail or Outlook yet, now is the time to do it. So you no longer have to worry about transferring letters from one computer to another, and if you need to monitor your work email, then in most web clients it is very easy to set up the import of letters from other accounts.

Unless you are an adherent of smart playlists, you can say goodbye to bulky iTunes and go to browser versions: Deezer web players, Google Play Music, Yandex. Music. Of course, if you have already invested money and energy in Apple Music and iTunes libraries, then there are few alternatives: perhaps only Apple TV or iPhone with AirPlay.

Let's continue with the topic of media. If you don't already use Netflix or other streaming services, the web version of Plex allows you to browse your personal library of audio, video, and photos on any browser on any device. In addition, browsers can play music and videos of popular formats without additional programs.

The mighty Adobe Creative Cloud includes some of the unique software that creative professionals need. For video editing you need something like Premiere. But for most users, web editors will suffice: Google Photos, for example, has a set of basic tools. More advanced online apps like Pixlr have support for layers, complex selections, and more.

What else? Slack, a popular work organization tool, works just as well in a browser as it does on a desktop. The contact list and calendar can also be opened in a browser. If you use Google, Microsoft or Apple products, in any case, you can work with them online and in the cloud. And the chances of a new revolutionary desktop application being released are extremely small.

Why you need to go to the web

You may be thinking that desktop programs do no harm, and in general you are, of course, right. On the other hand, there are several reasons to use only the web. For starters: it will take up less memory on your hard drive, increase the download speed and free up space for the browser.

When you buy a new computer, you only need to transfer your local files, not all files, programs, and their settings.

Users of services like Google Docs or Dropbox don't have to worry about files at all, as they are automatically synced across all devices using the account.

Need something urgent to look at on a tablet with a different operating system? No problem: any program can be accessed from the browser. Log into an account on someone else's computer? Again, without relying on computer programs, you can do anything on any device, from composing playlists to editing presentations.

In addition, modern online services allow you to share and collaborate on documents in real time, so the endless forwarding of letters and attachments looks archaic. This is another reason to do everything in a browser.

Computer programs are designed to store and manage files directly on the device.

Online applications run in the cloud - and cloud services are the future.

Of course, you can make a copy of your data and save it in the cloud, while continuing to use traditional programs, but if you ever need to restore the system, you will have to reinstall and configure all of these programs. And this is a painful process.

Desktop programs have served us for decades, and it can be difficult to part with them. But most of us simply don't need them. Find a decent replacement online, make your files available online and look for the uninstall button.