In 1998 sites might looks bad but at least user can still read the content. In 2018, some sites just refuses to work for anything but Google Chrome.

In 1998 you had to be running Windows. Now you can run any OS, even if the browser you have to use for a certain site isn't your favorite. It's an improvement.

People have always wanted to use "the web" as an application platform. It didn't work that well in 1998, but it's pretty good now. Progress has been made.

The difference is these are standard features, albeit ones that are just coming out.