this post was submitted on 29 May 2025
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The advantage browser-based ones have is it’s generally easy to copy/paste any text you need. I used one that ran as its own desktop software and made many of the key text fields uneditable, instead of letting you copy text from them but refusing to save any changes to those fields that must not change. Want to grab the order number for this customer? Too bad! Type it yourself or export it to PDF and copy it from there! I was so happy when I discovered a little program that lets you copy any text on the screen by effectively taking a screenshot, running OCR on the screenshot, and putting the output onto your clipboard. Still took more effort than simply right-clicking the text and hitting copy, though, or double-clicking and hitting Ctrl-C.
I dont think that poor UI programming for dedicated programs is an argument for browser based solutions.
I have issues with poorly programmed UIs in browser based tools all the time.
Tbh it kinda is, because the browser gives the end user more control, since you have extensions and access to the underlying html. You can get around most stupid UIs with little effort, but on desktop you're doomed
Only if you're bad with computers
I don't see how being good with computers helps
Desktop apps are easy to navigate, focus on the program via HWND and target whatever control is needed, then either get the data or set the data
That's not the issue here. And that relies entirely on them being implemented well.
Just like the web