This is an old topic but I always like to give some thoughts
on this idea. I really think that in the
future everything will run from the internet. Internet is becoming another
basic need just as electricity, water, gas and telephone. The appearance of new
technologies makes it easy to have Internet even in remote places like beaches
and mountains.
Rich Clients have been defended because it was said that not
a lot of interactivity could be produced by thin clients. It has also been said
that powerful interfaces (with complex gadgets, etc) could be produced in a web
interface. I think that Flash, and AJAX
have shown that despite all believes it is possible. There are still more technologies
that will come. But the easier deployment and the fact that you can use your
web applications everywhere even from a cell phone in a taxi cub.
I also love phases like “If you ask an engineer the time,
he'll tell you how to build a clock.”. Web interfaces are simple and easy to
learn look at blogs like Jon Galloway http://weblogs.asp.net/jgalloway/archive/2003/09/27/29446.aspx
and Microsoft's Inductive User Interface (IUI) initiative it seams like more
people is starting to think in this way.