phasing out support for Chrome Apps

[sman]

@exile360 this chrome apps policy, doesn't it require network connectivity to work inside browser (as offline one can only see cached pages), so will apps also not require network? and the so called chrome apps are they not installed thru' chrome store or any default in browser and are they not what the register report is about (since it says about packaged and hosted apps, which incidentally must be apps in chrome store)?

https://www.labnol.org/software/offline-browsing-in-google-chrome/28585/

 Now,  as browser needs network to work inalia it's apps too (except cache offline working), how network which is a basic requirement become an issue with google policy on apps now?

More on this, there are some latest chrome api's which blur the line between native and web apps as per https://blog.bitsrc.io/7-new-chrome-apis-you-should-know-cf2dcb9f42dc

7 New Chrome APIs You Should Know

7 top Chrome features that blur the lines between native apps and web apps

So, how do you classify these apps in relation to chrome apps policy?

[exile360]

No idea man, I haven't studied Chrome's API's and I'm not a programmer/developer, but I don't know what, if anything, that has to do with Windows 7 compatibility because network connectivity works the same in 7 as it does in 10 (in fact, 7 includes native IPv6 support, the impending replacement for the now dated IPv4) so as an operating system, at least with regards to internet connectivity, it is just as future proofed as Windows 10.

[sman]

@exile360 this is about the chrome apps phasing out and not abt win7/win10 compatibility . and all along I was in the wrong notion of all apps like MS office etc. which we install to run the program from desktop and woke up now to the fact that chrome apps are what one installs from within chrome browser, so which one can run only launching the browser and which requires network connectivity (or offline only to get cached pages) . so, when network is a must to run the chrome browser and its allied apps, how the chrome policy is impacting working offline (when the prime reqt. is to be online for browser launch and apps running)?

and with the latest chrome api's (as per the article) which gives more flexibility to work online & offline to complete tasks, relate to the chrome apps phasing out policy? is this the future of API's as PWA's seems to be the in thing.?

[exile360]

Ah, gotcha.  Yes, many software vendors seem to be going this route, requiring users/customers to have an always online internet connection.  It is quite frustrating, especially for apps that really have no reason to require an internet connection in order to function (single player games, office applications and other utility type apps etc.) and generally there are only 2 primary reasons that a software vendor will require an active internet connection for such applications: for the purposes of licensing/DRM (this is the reason most video games now require an internet connection, even single player games with no online or multiplayer content), and/or for the sake of telemetry/data mining (the latter of which being the primary reason I won't use any of Googles applications or browser, and also one of the primary reasons I refuse to downgrade to Windows 10 since it continues to gather telemetry/user data even when all options provided in the OS to control this functionality are configured not to).

[sman]

@exile360 where does office, game apps come in chrome apps, office apps are not one which one gets from chrome store, they are standalone apps / programs and non-browser type. Why link these non-browser apps with chrome apps phasing out? 

Chrome apps are moving towards PWA's Progressive web apps and browser extensions from packaged/hosted apps in chrome store? 

So, what is the real impact of chrome apps policy phasing to PWA;s and extensions (also taking into account the 7 latest API's which give flexibility to work online/offline to complete a task)?

[exile360]

I think it's a good thing that they are implementing offline functionality.  That makes them a lot more flexible since they don't require an internet connection to be used.  I mean it makes perfect sense for a browser plugin or dedicated web app to require internet connectivity, but for many of the Google apps I'm sure that they are just general applications that don't necessarily have a good reason to require an active internet connection to work.

Heck, even many functions of a web browser, including those based on Chromium, don't necessarily require internet access to function or be useful.  For example, I haven't installed Adobe Reader in ages because PDF files can be opened/read natively in SRWare Iron (the Chromium based browser I use as my primary browser).  I associate .PDF files with Iron so that any time I download and/or launch a PDF it opens in my browser so that I can read it.  It comes in quite handy.  The same is true for many other formats such as GIF (which opens in IE by default), .WBEM files (web based video files which, I believe, are based on HTML5), XML, XPS and many others.  Reading/opening these file types doesn't require internet connectivity, nor does the viewing of offline web format files such as HTML.

[sman]

@exile360Now, is the google policy to phase out packaged.hosted apps good/bad?  yes. PDF files can be read from within browser but PDF viewer, media player, web page reading are all integral functions of browser and they are not apps, So, the question is about the chrome store apps (hosted/packaged) being moved to PWA's/browser extensions, and it's impact on browser wrkg  and whether it;s good/bad?

[exile360]

I really cannot say as I don't use such apps.  I use some extensions/plugins but that's about it, so I really don't know what impact moving all packaged hosted apps to PWA's and/or browser extensions will have.  I guess you'd have to ask someone who uses them on a regular basis or investigate what the impact will be on some of the more commonly used ones to gauge how it will affect users of these apps and what it will mean for them going forward.

[sman]

@exile360 in that case why raise an alarm about the register.co report in the first case, if you are unsure about the impact?

[sman]

@exile360 here is more info on the chrome apps phasing 

https://www.icrazemagazine.com/tech/google-set-to-say-goodbye-to-chrome-apps-from-march-this-year/88825/

Google has introduced that it’s going to start phasing out assist for Chrome apps throughout Home windows, macOS, and Linux platforms beginning this 12 months. From March, Chrome Net Retailer will cease accepting new Chrome apps, whereas builders will get the choice to replace their present apps by June 2022, the corporate mentioned in a weblog publish. The brand new improvement is a follow-up of the announcement that Google made again in August 2016 to disclose the departure of Chrome apps. The search big had cited “much less utilization” as the first cause for its choice to kill the apps that had been initially designed to tackle conventional Net apps.

The timeline offered by Google has confirmed that Chrome Net Retailer will not settle for new Chrome apps from March. The corporate can even finish assist for Chrome apps on Home windows, macOS, and Linux beginning June this 12 months. Nonetheless, clients on Chrome Enterprise and Chrome Training Improve will get a coverage in place to increase assist by December.

Chrome OS customers will proceed to obtain assist for Chrome apps till June 2021. Assist for NaCI, PNaCI, and PPAPI APIs can even go offline from June subsequent 12 months. Furthermore, Google will finish assist for Chrome apps on Chrome OS for all customers from June 2022.

The adjustments pertaining to Chrome apps will not influence assist for Chrome extensions.

“Google will proceed to assist and put money into Chrome Extensions on all present platforms. Fostering a sturdy ecosystem of extensions is important to Chrome’s mission and we’re dedicated to offering a helpful extension platform for customising the searching expertise for all customers,” mentioned Anthony Laforge, Technical Director, Chrome Platform Workforce, within the weblog publish.

A devoted hub has been offered for builders to assist them migrate their Chrome apps to Net apps or construct Android apps for Chrome OS. Builders even have the choice to rework their experiences by engaged on Chrome extensions or construct Progressive Net App (PWA) options.

Google believes that builders would transfer from Chrome apps and begin utilizing open Net requirements resembling PWA over time. This may finally assist customers avail related experiences of Chrome apps throughout all trendy browsers.

[exile360]

1 hour ago, sman said:

@exile360 in that case why raise an alarm about the register.co report in the first case, if you are unsure about the impact?

I thought they were killing the apps to make everything online only/cloud based.  That's why I was concerned, because as I mentioned in my first reply, it is an industry trend that I find quite frustrating.

[sman]

@exile360 here is more update (yes. Google is killing the apps, chrome store is dead)

CHROME APP STORE IS NOW DEAD, GOOGLE BRINGING PWAS FOR DESKTOPS SOON

https://www.digit.in/news/internet/chrome-app-store-is-now-dead-google-bringing-pwas-for-desktops-soon-38524.html

Google had warned more than a year back that Chrome Apps will soon die out on Windows, Mac and Linux some time in 2017. That day has arrived and the App Store on Google Chrome is no longer available. This means you can’t install Chrome apps on your desktop anymore. 

Google had explained its rationale in a blog post last year. Chrome apps are being killed because people hardly use them. “Approximately 1 percent of users on Windows, Mac and Linux actively use Chrome packaged apps.” 

Chrome apps are not completely gone though. You can still install a Chrome app by directly linking. So currently, only the searchable app section is dead. The Chrome apps are now listed in the Extensions section. 

However, with the death of Chrome apps, Google is working on bringing Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) to the desktop browser. PWAs are essentially websites with app-like features. You get a full screen interface, push notifications, offline capabilities and an installable app icon. PWAs are already live on Chrome for Android and once it comes to desktops, PWAs could very well become the only app type to work across desktop and mobiles. Google has said it will roll out PWAs for desktop sometime in mid-2018. 

Till today, the Chrome app store housed apps in two flavours: “Hosted apps” and “Packaged apps.” Hosted apps were basically glorified links to websites with its own icon to easily access it from the homepage. It gave Chrome users a way to pin bookmarks to certain sections of the browser but didn’t really make any sense for a desktop user when there is already a bookmarks bar. 

The second flavour, “packaged apps” were more of the real deal. Packaged apps (RIP) can run in the background and have access to hardware-level features like the USB ports. 

There are also Chrome extensions which aren’t going anywhere. They are also desktop only and can be installed through the Chrome Web Store. Extensions usually live right next to the Address Bar. Password managers, ad blockers, and the likes are Chrome extensions, and are a key element in the Chrome desktop experience. 

PWAs, on the other hand, aren’t exactly standard apps. It’s more of a catch-phrase for existing W3C standards for app icons, background updates, push notifications, etc. PWAs work across browsers and are not locked inside a single browser. Even Windows have announced it will bring PWAs to Windows 10 while Apple is already working on adding support for PWAs to Safari.