upvote

points

by CuriouslyC9 hours ago |
comments
upvoteby reddalo9 hours ago|
next
[-]
Apps took off because Apple did everything they could to make PWAs work badly, with no reliable notifications, no access to some data, etc.

Apple did that because they want their sweet 30% from in-app purchases, which they couldn't enforce in PWAs.

reply
upvoteby CuriouslyC9 hours ago|
parent|
next
[-]
To be fair, apps took off before nice PWAs that masquerade as apps were a thing. The app store was already thriving to the point of oversaturation when the first versions of React were released.
reply
upvoteby jorisw9 hours ago|
parent|
[-]
PWAs (progressive web apps) surely existed before React though
reply
upvoteby CuriouslyC9 hours ago|
parent|
next
[-]
IIRC, the cutting edge of PWAs when the app store was taking off was Backbone.js, which I don't recall being pleasant enough to work with to want to make anything large in.
reply
upvoteby justarobert9 hours ago|
parent|
[-]
I worked on converting an existing knockoutjs SPA into a PWA around that time. I won't claim it was a pleasant experience but it was probably a lot easier and quicker than a small team of webdevs learning mobile dev and cheaper than a new hire. It wasn't a small or basic app, but we did have the advantage of it being a B2B tool that would only be used on android tablets. IIRC it was going to be either extra work or maybe even impossible to get the same functionality on iOS/safari at the time so we just didn't.
reply
upvoteby crabmusket9 hours ago|
parent|
prev|
[-]
React was open sourced in 2013. Service workers, which I consider to be essential to what we understand as PWAs, shipped first in Chrome in 2015, Safari in 2018.
reply
upvoteby jorisw8 hours ago|
parent|
[-]
Sure. But Jobs was talking about running 'web apps' on iPhone OS as a software distribution channel, pre App Store, 2007-2008.
reply
upvoteby jazzypants8 hours ago|
parent|
next
[-]
I completely understand the confusion, but "Progressive Web App" or PWA[1], coined by Alex Russell and Frances Berriman[2], has become a specific term for websites that work normally on a pc but can also take advantage of things like push notifications and be installed on the home screen of a phone. You can see a measurable uptick on Google Trends after this blogpost [3].

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_web_app

[2] https://infrequently.org/2015/06/progressive-apps-escaping-t...

[3] https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?q=%2Fg%2F11bzxympx6...

reply
upvoteby jghn8 hours ago|
parent|
prev|
next
[-]
The problem is that for nearly all apps I want them to have neither notifications nor access to data. For instance, with few exceptions, the only apps I allow to give me notifications are the default apple apps, like iMessage.

The only reasons I'll use an app over a website is if I have no choice in the matter, or if the app provides an easier UI/UX than the website.

reply
upvoteby imjonse9 hours ago|
parent|
prev|
next
[-]
apps took off before browsers had the capabilities required for native-like behaviour (fast graphics, hw functionality, notifications) and then were used even for apps that could have been web-apps.
reply
upvoteby asdff2 hours ago|
parent|
[-]
When apps took off they weren't really making use of any of that either. Top apps back then were either using the standard ux libraries, or they were something like a simulated beer pint. Rehashing of popular flash and flip phone games like bejeweled.
reply
upvoteby al_borland8 hours ago|
parent|
prev|
next
[-]
The original intent of the iPhone was not to have 3rd party apps at all. Web apps were how developers were supposed to deliver to iPhone users. At the time, web apps weren’t as good as they are today and the market demanded local apps. Jailbreaks happened quickly, delivery systems like Cydia were set up. Apple either had to deliver their own official methods or play a cat and mouse game with hackers while trying to gaslight the public that websites were better than local apps.
reply
upvoteby jonahx2 hours ago|
parent|
[-]
Historically true, but the original intent quickly dissolved once they app store took off and they realized the cash cow they had on their hands.
reply
upvoteby graemep9 hours ago|
parent|
prev|
next
[-]
Apps also took off on Android and Google likes PWAs.

I am not sure about the history, but a lot of it now is about tracking, and perceived security. Its far harder for users to manage things like location tracking in apps than in browsers.

reply
upvoteby faangguyindia9 hours ago|
parent|
prev|
[-]
yes, i am forced to to make a real app because storage is not reliable in PWA, browser or OS can wipe off data.

i don't want to pay for servers just to have an app.

and updating apps is slow, for flutter you need to pay for shorebird.

In react native land, not sure but there are paid stuff like expo? you can self host but usually you end up payign for some OTA provider?

reply
upvoteby jorisw9 hours ago|
prev|
[-]
The App Store took off because of the distribution channel it offers for developers (including being able to charge for the work) and the place of discovery it offers to users.
reply
upvoteby 1970-01-018 hours ago|
parent|
[-]
There was and is more than one App Store. You mention other good reasons to develop, but the money from ads was the biggest reason for an app to exist. Otherwise, it could and should just be a website.
reply