[alerighi]

The fact that an app is in the store doesn't mean that uses platform appropriate controls. In fact a lot of applications nowadays are just web app packaged with tools like Ionic, or cross platform applications built with React Native or Flutter that doesn't use "platform-appropriate controls".

If most applications are embedding a web browser, or at least part of a web browser (in case of RN), why not just have applications that... run in a browser? No need to install them, no need to update them, I can just open an URL and they work.

[kgdiem]

> No need to install them, no need to update them, I can just open an URL and they work.

The App Store is a useful distribution mechanism. For better or worse more people seem to be willing to buy an app, search in the App Store, etc.

There have been threads on HN about a discoverability problem for on the web, not that it doesn’t exist for apps too.

I made a one time use website and my only feedback from normal people was that it should be an app…

[fiddlerwoaroof]

React Native renders down to native iOS component classes, though: there are definitely too many generic UIViews for my taste, but it’s pretty different from electron that just constructs UIs from divs like a web app.