Despite having to suffer through “iPocalypse” this weekend, Apple managed to birth the App Store, thus offering up bunches of third-party software for iPhone and iPod Touch users.

So why is it still maintaining Web Apps?

In my mind, Web Apps was a stopgap measure for adding functionality to Apple’s two touchpad/wi-fi devices, until the monetized App Store was ready to roll. I can’t believe it was intended to last, and in fact, there are too many advantages in using installable App Store wares for both consumer and developer to see an officially-sanctioned online repository stick around.

I’m surprised Apple didn’t integrate Web Apps into the App Store in some way. I realized the offerings aren’t identical, and that a bunch of the Web App developers did, in fact, port their offerings over to App Store. But why maintain two separate extensible areas intended for largely the same purpose?

My guess is that Apple will deemphasize the Web Apps area while trumpeting App Store long and loud, with the idea that Web Apps will quietly die out from lack of activity/interest. No tears shed over here, as the always-online requirement means the Web Apps stuff isn’t optimal for iTouch portability.