Is Evernote Chrome?

[Randy Zeitman 13]

When I open Evernote, the application, and press F12 (Mac), I get the Chrome Dev Tools Inspector.

What does this mean in regard to the Evernote app being in effect a web browser? ... does it mean something else?

[PinkElephant 5,546]

It means that EN runs inside of a framework, which is practically a browser without a user interface. This was introduced with v10. The app is embedded, the framework handles the interaction with the computer.

[Vidalia 23]

EN v10 runs on Electron, which is effectively a browser disguised as native desktop app.

[PinkElephant 5,546]

Or better, the framework (browser engine) is not visible at all. What we see is indeed the app itself, but it is executing its code in the framework. The framework handles the interaction with OS and device.

Naturally this 2 level approach is less efficient in terms of computing power and energy consumption. The main advantage is that the apps code can be used on different machines, without a need to rewrite the app. Plus the framework takes care of updates and releases of the operating systems, so the app developer can focus on features and functions for the passenger deck, not on the engine room.

[Brian Handscomb 16]

Evernote 10 is a rewrite in JavaScript with Electron (one of a few different JavaScript "containers") as the means to run that JavaScript code. It does this with an embedded copy of the Chromium browser as the engine, a  less Google-y version of Chrome that's allowed to be used in that way. As a result developers are "held hostage" to the framework for platform support breaking beyond normal "limitations" of JavaScript within a browser, i.e. if a new OS feature comes out out something like Apple's M1 chips happen then app developers cannot do anything about it until the framework adds support.

Last I checked "mobile" builds of Electron were experimental or even unofficial at best and only Mac, Windows and Linux are first class platforms with Evernote not really interested in one of those three. IMHO something like Qt allowing native compiles on all the platforms would've been better if they wanted a single code base (for all but web app) but this is straying away from the question...