Netscape could do this back in 1995. One of its preference settings let you associate external applications with certain MIME types; when you clicked on a link pointing to a resource of that type, it would automatically open the external program to view the file, as if you had double-clicked on it.
Similarly, you can do this right now on Android. When you click on a link, it fires off an Intent with the URL. Apps can register for this Intent and the user will be prompted for what program they wish to handle the link in. This is how the official YouTube/Google Maps/G+ apps work.
It turns out that for certain types of content, users really, really don't like to wait for external programs to load. It's not a technology issue; the technology has long existed to use rich clients, consumers just don't prefer it.
> It turns out that for certain types of content, users really, really don't like to wait for external programs to load.
And yet they click through full page ads, wait for "loading showcase" animations, scroll past parallax scrolling banner images and also wait for the ads on youtube videos and for the video to switch from 360p to HD.
Users are strange creatures.
I think if some effort were put into streamlining the native <-> web boundary then users would be quite happy with it.
> This is how the official YouTube/Google Maps/G+ apps work.
The question is, could this be standardized further? Basically a web standard that browsers agree to when it comes to talking to native apps that might offer specific services.
At the risk of getting stoned to death for this: WebD-Bus?
Although I think anything like that isn't going to happen. Browser vendors put security over everything else. Talking to native apps which already have access to the system would probably be construed as some sort of security risk, even if the user had to opt-in.
Ads exist in Native apps as well. At least in the web I have the option of browser extensions to provide a more customizable UX. With adBlock I don't get Youtube ads on Chrome so that point is null.
As for the last point, Spotify has some version of this. My native (mobile) Spotify app knows when I'm playing on my computer and vice-versa.
>It turns out that for certain types of content, users really, really don't like to wait for external programs to load.
I'm not sure how that's a valid point. My native media player loads in literally less than a second. (I timed it at 0.59s from when I double-click a file and it starts playback.) This is faster than any webpage can ever dream of loading. And unlike Flash or HTML5 video it gives me completely hitch free playback, whereas browser integrated player tend to drop frames quite frequently.
I would much rather use it than any player integrated into a web browser.
Similarly, you can do this right now on Android. When you click on a link, it fires off an Intent with the URL. Apps can register for this Intent and the user will be prompted for what program they wish to handle the link in. This is how the official YouTube/Google Maps/G+ apps work.
It turns out that for certain types of content, users really, really don't like to wait for external programs to load. It's not a technology issue; the technology has long existed to use rich clients, consumers just don't prefer it.