[reddalo]

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.

[jghn]

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.

[CuriouslyC]

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.

[jorisw]

PWAs (progressive web apps) surely existed before React though

[CuriouslyC]

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.

[justarobert]

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.

[crabmusket]

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.

[jorisw]

Sure. But Jobs was talking about running 'web apps' on iPhone OS as a software distribution channel, pre App Store, 2007-2008.

[jazzypants]

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...

[SquareWheel]

If anyone wishes to remember what that looked like.

https://web.archive.org/web/20071012231544/http://www.apple....

https://web.archive.org/web/20071012025941/http://www.apple....

[imjonse]

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.

[asdff]

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.

[al_borland]

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.

[jonahx]

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.

[graemep]

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.

[faangguyindia]

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?