App — the Most Abused Word In Tech?

Barence writes "PC Pro has a blog exploring the misuse of the word 'app'. Until the iPhone came along, the word 'application' largely meant a self-contained piece of software installed on a PC or Mac. Then Apple took ownership, trimmed it to three letters, and within months the word 'app' became synonymous with small widgets of code for smartphones. Now, Google's pushing the boundaries of the 'app' definition even further. Google Chrome users will have seen a new addition to their browser recently: the Chrome Web Store. Here, you'll find dozens of 'apps' to install and run directly from a handy icon on the browser's home screen. Except, these aren't 'apps' at all. They're websites. Google's idea of 'apps' are what we quaintly referred to in the good old days as 'bookmarks.' Does the word 'app' mean anything at all any more?"

Comments

You want to know what an "app" is?

[Chris Mattern]

There's an app for that.

Re:Why worry?

[Anonymous Coward]

Appropriate appellations apparently apply to applications.

Ceci n'est pas une app

[Mysteray]

This comment is not an app

Re:Ceci n'est pas une app

[XxtraLarGe]

I would like to buy a copy of your English to French Slashdot comment translator app.

Re:Pedantry and Nothing More

[ColdWetDog]

-Having grown-up with Commodore GEOS and Workbench, I call programs "tools", directories "drawers", and the terminal a "CLI".

Mommy! Grandpa is getting all old and confused again!