&gt; Ideally web app and its data is instantly accessible anywhere, not just on your desktop.<p>Where the data resides is not a distinction between web apps and native apps. See Apple&#x27;s bundled apps, like Notes, Contacts, etc.: you can access the same data via a website or through native iOS&#x2F;OS X apps.<p>However, one advantage that native apps have when it comes to accessing cloud data, is that you can <i>still</i> access and update that data <i>even when you have no connection to the internet.</i><p>&gt; which is why Apple is deliberately keeping Safari in 2010<p>What do you mean with this?<p>&gt; The only consistent look &amp; feel is with ms office apps like excel, word and powerpoint.<p>This sounds like you are primarily a Windows user, where indeed, MS Office apps seem to be the only ones that share a consistent look-&amp;-feel among them. Even Windows&#x27; own applets vary wildly in how they present basic UI elements (like toolbars and Control Panels.)<p>The overall situation, while with its own unique flaws, is much more coherent on OS X, across all vendors.<p>&gt; Performance is also a lot about how and who wrote the app rather than if the app is native.<p>True, but web apps will always be removed from the underlying OS&#x27;s &quot;metal&quot; by at least one degree, no?