Tony Thomas' Techtrends: Are Chrome Apps Going Away?

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Are Chrome Apps Going Away?

by Tony Thomas

The potential market for Google Chrome apps just got a lot smaller.

According to the Chromium Blog, Google will be phasing out Chrome apps (but not extensions) for the Chrome browser on all platforms except Chrome OS. This phase out will begin in late 2016 and will continue until early 2018. As only 1% of users reportedly use Chrome apps on Windows, MacOS and Linux, this move will allow Google to simplify the Chrome browser.

They are encouraging developers of Chrome packaged apps to migrate them the web. What this means is that there will less developers willing to develop for a platform with diminishing potential.

I really question the future viability of Chrome apps, even on Chrome OS, especially now that Android capability is beginning to roll out to Chrome OS devices. I think that it is just a matter of time before they are just a distant memory.

Official Announcement: http://blog.chromium.org/2016/08/from-chrome-apps-to-web.html

What is Techtrends?

A better question might be, who is Tony Thomas and why did he create this web site? Well, I have been a professional writer for more than 30 years. In 1978, I started as audio editor for SCENE Magazine in Cleveland, OH, a post I held at two different times over a two decade period. In the 80s and 90s, my articles and reviews appeared in numerous publications including Scene, Recording, Mix, AV/Video, Roland Users Group, Millimeter, Recording Engineer and Producer, Transoniq Hacker and others. I was also the Technology Expert on the WERE morning show in the early 90s.

In the world of technology, something new is happening every nanosecond. As a writer, one of my biggest frustrations is the length of time it takes for my articles to see the light of day. By the time my work hits the stands, it is often weeks or months out of date. With the emergence of the Internet, there is a unique opportunity to promulgate information instantaneously to a worldwide audience. Because of that, I feel that it is a wonderful forum to impart news, views and reviews of new and emerging technologies with the immediacy that print can never duplicate.

Some of my interests include music, computers, digital audio, photography, graphic design and electronics. Here, I'll attempt to give you the freshest scoop on products and trends that I find enlightening and revolutionary. I hope you enjoy it and welcome your feedback!

Tony Thomas
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief
Tony Thomas' TechTrends