Web development as a hack of hacks (in reply to a HN thread)

I've spent most of my career building web apps for other people but when I look at the programs I use daily, the only web app amongst them is gmail, even then I mostly use it through the android app. Possibly netflix and other online video if you count that as a web app (though I'd prefer a native version).

For work email it's outlook. For document editing it's word and vim. For developing it's Visual studio and vim. Listening to music is done via native apps. For work messaging it's lync. Earlier today I wanted to do a workflow diagram and it was easier to download and install dia than it was to use one of the millions of online versions.

Did widespread usage of web apps every actually happen?