Google is finally killing off Chrome apps, which nobody really used • Hacker News Board

Re: Google is finally killing off Chrome apps, which nobody really used

#21

Post by SifJar » Thu, Jan 16, 2020, 11:03 AM UTC

Twisell wrote: post #15

Please excuse this naive question, but what is the point of ChromeOS/ChromeBook then? If everything is now WebApp what's the point of an OS that can't run native App vs any other OS that can do both? I must be missing something???

lightweight/less bloat, lower resource requirements, generally reasonably cheap hardware

Re: Google is finally killing off Chrome apps, which nobody really used

#22

Post by g105b » Thu, Jan 16, 2020, 11:05 AM UTC

Twisell wrote: post #15

Please excuse this naive question, but what is the point of ChromeOS/ChromeBook then? If everything is now WebApp what's the point of an OS that can't run native App vs any other OS that can do both? I must be missing something???

Chrome Apps were Google's idea of packaging websites as self-contained apps. They only worked within the Chrome web browser.

Now, we have Progressive Web Apps, and Google have decided to promote using open standards to achieve the same goal, rather than offering a Chrome-only solution.

Google have even released a migration guide (in 2016, when this was first announced): https://developers.chrome.com/apps/migration

Re: Google is finally killing off Chrome apps, which nobody really used

#23

Post by igravious » Thu, Jan 16, 2020, 11:06 AM UTC

Twisell wrote: post #15

Please excuse this naive question, but what is the point of ChromeOS/ChromeBook then? If everything is now WebApp what's the point of an OS that can't run native App vs any other OS that can do both? I must be missing something???

Nearly every Chrome app is going to have an Android app counterpart I imagine. Chrome OS and Android are two competing platforms. Android took off and developers made zillions of Android apps, Chrome apps not so much. However Google has never shown any sign of abandoning Chromebooks. If anything, they're getting nicer and nicer and all new models run Android apps thus solving the app shortage problem on Chrome OS.

Check out this review of Samsung's latest Chromebook at CES 2020 by Chrome Unboxed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mD_m6-nLvfs (btw, I don't own a Chromebook, but I am a Linux fan, and so I'm glad Google have put their weight behind Linux with Android and Chrome OS)

Re: Google is finally killing off Chrome apps, which nobody really used

#24

Post by g105b » Thu, Jan 16, 2020, 11:06 AM UTC

Chrome Apps were Google's idea of packaging websites as self-contained apps. They only worked within the Chrome web browser.

Now, we have Progressive Web Apps, and Google have decided to promote using open standards to achieve the same goal, rather than offering a Chrome-only solution.

PWAs can be used to "install" applications on your desktop or Chromebooks that are almost identical in capability to Chrome Packaged Apps. In my view, this is a highly responsible move by Google in moving the web forwards via standards.

Google have even released a migration guide (in 2016, when this was first announced): https://developers.chrome.com/apps/migration

Re: Google is finally killing off Chrome apps, which nobody really used

#25

Post by trevordixon » Thu, Jan 16, 2020, 11:09 AM UTC

Twisell wrote: post #15

Please excuse this naive question, but what is the point of ChromeOS/ChromeBook then? If everything is now WebApp what's the point of an OS that can't run native App vs any other OS that can do both? I must be missing something???

Security and simplicity. Such a low-maintenance system. When I sign in to any Chromebook, my wallpaper, shortcuts, and settings are just as I left them. For example, I may never have to find the setting to maps caps lock to escape ever again if I stick to ChromeOS.

Re: Google is finally killing off Chrome apps, which nobody really used

#26

Post by slovenlyrobot » Thu, Jan 16, 2020, 11:12 AM UTC

Kaiyou wrote: post #14

wazoox wrote: post #13

Typical Google move. I have a Chromebook. It was listed on the models that would support Android app, this support never came (it's still "planned", 2 years later...). Support for Linux apps didn't come, either. So now I suppose my Chromebook will be soon a useless brick. Thanks, Google. Got the message, I'll never use any product with your badge again.

You say that, but you got a Chromebook despite everything Google did in the past. If people had gotten any message they'd have abandoned Google back in 2008.

Speaking just for one, I haven't adopted a new Google consumer product in 7 years. I don't even click the links.

Pretty sure Reader had that effect on a large chunk of the technical base they previously relied heavily on.

Re: Google is finally killing off Chrome apps, which nobody really used

#27

Post by tudorw » Thu, Jan 16, 2020, 11:14 AM UTC

wazoox wrote: post #13

Typical Google move. I have a Chromebook. It was listed on the models that would support Android app, this support never came (it's still "planned", 2 years later...). Support for Linux apps didn't come, either. So now I suppose my Chromebook will be soon a useless brick. Thanks, Google. Got the message, I'll never use any product with your badge again.

Never got my keyboard for my google Nexus tablet either, 8 years and counting, actually, reminds me, under UK consumer law I think you can get a refund or part refund if extra functionality was promised and never delivered, will have to look that up :)

Re: Google is finally killing off Chrome apps, which nobody really used

#28

Post by guggle » Thu, Jan 16, 2020, 11:22 AM UTC

slovenlyrobot wrote: post #26

Kaiyou wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You say that, but you got a Chromebook despite everything Google did in the past. If people had gotten any message they'd have abandoned Google back in 2008.

Speaking just for one, I haven't adopted a new Google consumer product in 7 years. I don't even click the links. Pretty sure Reader had that effect on a large chunk of the technical base they previously relied heavily on.

Indeed... I don't even consider using their development tools now.

Re: Google is finally killing off Chrome apps, which nobody really used

#29

Post by fredgrott » Thu, Jan 16, 2020, 11:24 AM UTC

wazoox wrote: post #13

Typical Google move. I have a Chromebook. It was listed on the models that would support Android app, this support never came (it's still "planned", 2 years later...). Support for Linux apps didn't come, either. So now I suppose my Chromebook will be soon a useless brick. Thanks, Google. Got the message, I'll never use any product with your badge again.

you need to recheck as some recent chromebooks are going to get fuchsia which will support the legacy android apps

Re: Google is finally killing off Chrome apps, which nobody really used

#30

Post by taneq » Thu, Jan 16, 2020, 11:25 AM UTC

Kaiyou wrote: post #14

wazoox wrote: post #13

Typical Google move. I have a Chromebook. It was listed on the models that would support Android app, this support never came (it's still "planned", 2 years later...). Support for Linux apps didn't come, either. So now I suppose my Chromebook will be soon a useless brick. Thanks, Google. Got the message, I'll never use any product with your badge again.

You say that, but you got a Chromebook despite everything Google did in the past. If people had gotten any message they'd have abandoned Google back in 2008.

Was Google anywhere near as bad in 2008? I don't recall anything particularly awful back then.