 Rich
graphical user interface
One of the most attractive features of Client/Server
Applications is the ease and speed with which
a user can adapt to using a client designed for his or her
machine. To a Macintosh user, the Macintosh client looks perfectly
familiar with its drop down menus, folders, and baloon help.
Normal Macintosh operations prevail. Similarly, the Windows
client looks and behaves like any other Windows program.
Instant
response to user input
Unlike Web applications, Client/Server Applications do not
require full screen refreshes for entering and retrieving
data. Instead they allow users to select options, check boxes
and input data in real time.
Faster
development
Programmers can create those applications faster and cheaper
using multiple window widgets such as trees, menus, and tabs,
all of which have poor support under HTML.
Cross-platform
compatibility
Client/Server Applications also eliminate costly Web cross-platform
compatibility issues. For instance, Mozilla-based applications
are cross-platform, meaning programs work the same on Windows
as they do on Linux or the Mac OS.
Security
Traditional client-server development environments can rely
on persistent connections between clients and servers. Web
communications using HTTP are intermittent, meaning that they
are constantly being established, torn down and reestablished
as the browser requests pages and objects over the network.
This lack of connection state is a major security limitation
with HTTP. On the other hand, most modern Client/Server Applications
use encrypted passwords and strict access control binding.
Accessibility
Unlike Web applications, Client/Server Applications can be
compliant with Section 508 and other accessibility guidelines
as they allow for direct manipulation of data, such as dragging
and dropping elements, and client side-processing and storing
data locally.
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