I agree that software is a principal constraint. As a programmer myself, I find implementing what I would like to see as well beyond my capability, even if I invested significant time. As you point out, it would require a holistic ecosystem-wide approach. This is why I'd like to see a software titan like Microsoft attempt something along these lines. They have the resources to unify all the devices in a person's life into a single computing experience.
I very much appreciate what you're attempting to do and I think it will measurably improve matters. However, where I personally differ is on the key point I made above: I don't want applications to run on multiple devices. I want applications to be singular instances available everywhere. If I begin typing an e-mail at my desktop, I want to view my e-mail application on my tablet or phone and see the exact in-progress e-mail—to the letter—available and interactive in real-time. As I type on any device viewing my e-mail application, the letters appear on all over views instantly. Presence information (for the purposes of notification sounds and the like) could follow whichever device I interacted with most recently.
A premise of MVC that we have in large part forgotten is that views can be plural and diverse.
As you point out, countless developer hours are used porting applications to myriad devices. I'd rather conserve that effort. Have the computational guts be on a high-performance, high-connectivity, well-known (e.g., x86) application host. Then only the views need to be made plural, in a manner similar to (but obviously more comprehensive than) responsive web design. More comprehensive because some devices will be touch-enabled, some will be large, some will be small, some with a keyboard, others without, etc.
All that said, I do like what you're talking about and building. I look forward to seeing that project come to light!
Oh I completely agree with what you describe. (I use exactly the MVC pattern you describe when I work on contracts to pay the bills.)
Personally, however, I maintain that even at the level you describe the tools just don't exist to reduce the time significantly unless you give up native application feel. I.e. streaming the view, and just sending the input back. The web is a great start to such a system, but it still has a lot of hurdles to cross if it wants to be that platform (including performant (i.e. native) 3d rendering, NAT traversal for user ran applications (just switch to IP v6 already!), saving data client side, threading!, different input and display methods like you mentioned, ect.)
I also have other, fundamental, problems (more like pet peeves) with the way the web is designed to work. But my main motivator is the massive problems I have with programming languages. I should probably start a blog...
I very much appreciate what you're attempting to do and I think it will measurably improve matters. However, where I personally differ is on the key point I made above: I don't want applications to run on multiple devices. I want applications to be singular instances available everywhere. If I begin typing an e-mail at my desktop, I want to view my e-mail application on my tablet or phone and see the exact in-progress e-mail—to the letter—available and interactive in real-time. As I type on any device viewing my e-mail application, the letters appear on all over views instantly. Presence information (for the purposes of notification sounds and the like) could follow whichever device I interacted with most recently.
A premise of MVC that we have in large part forgotten is that views can be plural and diverse.
As you point out, countless developer hours are used porting applications to myriad devices. I'd rather conserve that effort. Have the computational guts be on a high-performance, high-connectivity, well-known (e.g., x86) application host. Then only the views need to be made plural, in a manner similar to (but obviously more comprehensive than) responsive web design. More comprehensive because some devices will be touch-enabled, some will be large, some will be small, some with a keyboard, others without, etc.
All that said, I do like what you're talking about and building. I look forward to seeing that project come to light!