SmartApplication

Smart Windows applications are a brand new generation of rich windows applications supported by the .Net Framework that integrate the best of all words, the richness and performance of a Windows application and the ease of deployment of a Web application. At the same time, they leverage existing resources bringing overall cost down.

Advantages:

Deploy once
Auto-deployable Win-Forms Application
Distributes a great deal of processing to the client side using existing resources
Work online or off-line. You can persist an objects state on an xml file and then turn off your computer. Later, when the line is back up or when you have the time, simply rehydrate the data from this xml file to the application and click save.
Receive data updates automatically when you go back on-line
Allows quick data entry and manipulation without needless screen refreshes
Loader application can take advantage of Windows XP's Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) to download updated versions of the assemblies behind the scenes even when the user is using the application.

Feature Smart Clients Web Applications

Ability to work off line Yes Not easily

Centralized deployment Yes Yes

Advanced GUI features Yes Yes

High-Performance GUI Yes No

Offload processing to client Yes Yes

Updates through HTTP Yes Yes

Secure Yes Yes

Zero-touch client install NO; need to build a loader app
that requires changes to .NET's
security configuration (unless you use Microsoft Transaction Server
or Citrix, but then the app is
online-only) Yes

Data only traffic most of the time Yes No; integrated with presentation traffic unless
substantial use of .NET controls are hosted in
Internet Explorer

.NET Framework required on client Yes No

Platform and client independent No Yes

Well suited for e-commerce
or Internet applications No; best suited for internal
corporate applications Yes

Table 1. Compare the two; simplify your decision-making process by comparing the feature set of smart-clients with that of web applications.