alt Hacker NewsI'll bite (I did not downvote). Why should I have to go to an app store to see text/images with occasional buttons that make GET/POST requests? This is what most "apps" in the world do.
The question should be reframed in the opposite direction: why do apps need to be siloed into multiple incompatible systems (appstores).
Because you can use the app offline, and because you have native UI controls, and better performance.