But the 'apps' are literally just websites. Some of them use newer APIs which other browsers don't support yet.
The same situation happened with localStorage, CSS, cookies, Ajax, JSON. The correct approach now is the same approach we used with those technologies; use them where we can, fall back where we can't. The approach Google's pushing is: Use them on Chrome, lock out where you can't.
For example, I was working on a finance management app in Chrome along the lines of Quicken or MsMoney. The 'app' used plain HTML, jQuery and local storage to function and save your transactions. No server is needed in this scenario and I surely wouldn't call this a website or an extension.
But a great many do. Many of the 'apps' on Google's web store are literally just normal web apps doing their normal thing, expect that Google is presenting them as though they don't work in anything but Chrome.
> No server is needed in this scenario
Where is the html/etc hosted?
2) Hootsuite. A bookmark to hootsuite.com
3) Aviary. A bookmark to http://goo.gl/VOFHH which seems to work fine in Fx.
4) Box.net. A bookmark to http://goo.gl/Osbby which works fine in Fx.
5) nytimes. A bookmark to http://nytimes.com/chrome which works fine in Fx.
6) eBuddy. A bookmark to http://web.ebuddy.com/ which works fine in Fx. Although it does open in a popup window if you install it on Chrome, so Firefox users will miss out on that feature.
7) Flixster. A bookmark to http://flixster.rottentomatoes.com/ which works fine on Fx.
8) todo.ly A bookmark to http://todo.ly/chrome which works fine on Fx.
9) Read Later Fast. An actual app!
10) Springpad. A bookmark to http://springpadit.com/chromestore.action which works fine on Fx.
11) Fiabee. An actual app!
So that's 3 out of 11 apps which aren't just bookmarks.
edit: and of those which are actually apps, I think from a cursory glance that Read Later Fast is the only one which actually uses Chrome-specific features. The others seem initially at least to be 'apps' just because they can be.
What's massively damaging is that the other 9 websites (sorry, 'apps') now have an excuse to not bother testing in other browsers, to allow bugs in other browsers. When really with a very minimal amount of effort they'd be able to be nice open web apps like we know and love.
Therefore, you do have to install it, it works only on Chrome and has all the "app properties". On the other hand, while it does use the web technologies, it's not a "web app". It doesn't live on a server and you can't link to it.
As such, I agree with your sentiment -- some of the apps in the web store are just bookmarks (where the whole installation process feels weird) and the rest are not really "web".
[1] https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/aimodnlfiikjjnmdch...