Depends on who's talking. Amongst developers, using the word 'app' to describe any kind of software seems like the navy referring to everything as a 'boat'. Us

Depends on who's talking. Amongst developers, using the word 'app' to describe any kind of software seems like the navy referring to everything as a 'boat'. Using more specific words improves the conversation and our thought processes. But when talking with end users, it seems to make sense to classify their system into 'Apps' and 'files'. The average user still gets confused by the difference between Windows, Word and a Word Document. If saying "Apps are things you find in an App Store" helps end users be more effective with their computers, then it makes sense.