Philosophically, an OS is a virtual computer meant to be shared among programs (usually an open-ended set of programs, and usually regulating how they interact). You could say the web is not that because it's a distributed system instead of a virtual computer, so the browser makes a better match.
I guess an everything app would be different in that its maker probably goes like "Open-ended set of programs? Who cares, you nerd, I'm just gonna make deals."
As originally defined, an OS is a set of functionalities offered to user-programs for accessing hardware, memory and similar things at a higher level - in it's original intent, an OS was passive. A browser originally also had the intent of being just a receiver/displayer of the information the user requested. Of course, browsers have indeed become more likes OSes as web pages have become like programs.
Of course, mobile OSes and OSes in general have become active and oriented to filtering input as well as generating inputs. This creep is everywhere - MS Windows displaying adds and flogging it's "app store" is one notably noxious example.
It's all a matter of control, in my opinion. I'd say that iOS is practically an everything app, but Android is not. ChromeOS may be borderline, because of the hoops one has to jump through to side-load apps.
If anything the mobile browser situation is much worse.
On one major platform, there is Chrome by default (so even bigger market share issues). People can install other browsers, but far fewer do than even on desktop. For those that do, most use the Play Store which has some conflict of interest concerns.
On the other platform it's even worse. The only option is Safari and the conflict of interest is fully realized because other browsers aren't even allowed on the App Store
Check the sales figures. The Pixel line is a very minor player, especially worldwide. The biggest vendors are Samsung, Xiami, Oppo, Vivo and Huawei. All have their own browsers. The Pixel line has 2% market share in NA and less worldwide.
Chrome dominates because it's better. People install it.
> The only option is Safari and the conflict of interest is fully realized because other browsers aren't even allowed on the App Store.
This is such a persistent myth on HN - I think I read it at least once a week - usually on one of the many alternative browsers, plenty of which are available on the AppStore.
WebKit is the building block of browsers on iOS, but there are an extremely varied selection of browsers using it.
It is sad that we have 2 generations of people believing that falsehood
HTTP literally runs on the application layer, as do email, IRC , gopher and all the old internet. Nowhere in the word "Application" is it implied that some CEO controls what porn people can view.
The term "app" today implies something controlled by a single company. Whatever the "application layer" might have meant in days of yore, the term now derives from the "app store" and not other earlier usages. That's how language works. (and I'm old to remember those usages in the 90s and they were technical/unusual compared "something the user runs" even back then, jeesh).
maybe that's how programmers, entrepreneurs and VCs call it, but most people i know said an app is a program they run on their phone/computer. I really don't get follow the "controlled by a company" part
