Web vs Mobile Apps

Microsoft, Apple and Google first shared the digital marketplace in 1998.  Since that year,their history has featured one battle after another for dominance and the top position in specific market segments, notably search engines, digital music, smartphones and tablets.

In 1998, Microsoft had the upper hand in the software market. This was due to founder Bill Gates’s specialized technical skills and personality. Apple founder Steve Jobs focused on users’ experience with his organization’s devices. Jobs was aiming to produce the best machines in a limited number of categories rather than emulating Microsoft’s wide reach. Google, which famously derives its name from misspelling a math term denoting an enormous sum, began when founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin explored the need for a search engine that would help users categorize and navigate the growing number of Internet resources.

Next war/revolution will be "Handheld" smartphone - designed to “act like a handheld computer.”  Attached is the industry data on web vs mobile applications development during 2010-2011. It clearly indicates the growth rate on mobile apps than web.