Difference between Content Pack and App workspace

[Anonymous]

HI Team,

I want to understand what is the difference between Content Pack and App Workspace ? Consider a scenerio, as a developer i have created few reports in power bi desktop and published to a group workspace (orApp  Workspace)  in Power Bi Online. Here i can add members with edit\read permissions. But what i understand here is if the users inside the group edit the content and save it, it will get reflected to the entire group . 

Here. Microsoft gives us the new option Content Pack. What my understanding is that when i create a Content Pack with data published inside the group workspace and distribute it as organizational content pack across a group of audience. the good thing over here is, the audience can download the organizational content pack and create a copy of the dataset or reports and play around with their own copy. They will see the organizational content pack available under "My Worksapce"

Microsoft in their recent release brought App culture into Power BI space, where they call it App Workspace. Even when we try creating Content Pack we get a suggestion to "Try App". So i tried handson with this so call app. Steps followed.

•  Browsed one of the workspace
• Clicked on Publish App
• It gave me option to set the theme, select necessary report and set of users with whom the app should be shared
• Once i published the app, the users who has access to the app can subscribe for it and it will available under their app tab
• It lists all the dashboard, reports and dashboards
• But what it doesn't give is privilege for the user to edit content.
• For me it feels more or less like report sharing. 

Please correct me if i am wrong and provide help in understanding- what way we can leverage more using app. Below is the suggestion from Microsoft.

i am confused with different set of terminolgies microsft uses. for example 

Group Workspace changed to App workspace

Addition of Apps

Content Packs vs  Apps

why are the datasets shown when there in no point in editing them?

How different are apps compared to contentpacks?

Any insights on the above topics will be greatly appriciated. Thank You.

[ShmuelM]

Hi there , here is a general idea of how working with apps ( I am not including here the differnce with Groups)

Here is how you should work with Apps ( In general) 

Create an App workspace , this is the "working enviornment" - add their pepole that will manage & review the reports under the app. 

Afterwords , add content you want . 

After finish You can publish the App to the organiztion or specific users. 

Then here is the nice part in apps - you have a "Stage enviorment".

If you or one or the users want's to make change to a report you will do it in the App Workspace , Only until you will "Republish" the app again the users of the app will see the changes. 

Hope it makes some things clearer. 

Shmuel

[Anonymous]

My understanding is app workspace is a staging place, team members can edit reports, visuals there. Once the report is ready for a broad audence, it's published on app. Under app users can only copy the report or create their own report by using the same dataset- hence no right to edit reports (which should be done in app workspace). 

content package allows developer to share content (reports, dashboard, dataset) with others. Users receive access to content pack can search for content in Get Data-Organization Content. 

So there are similar concepts, but server different purpose. 

[v-huizhn-msft]

Hi @Anonymous,

For difference between apps and contentpacks, please refer to this similar thread, which describe it in details.

>>why are the datasets shown when there in no point in editing them?

Until now, if we get the app shared by others, we only view it and we are unable to edit the apps.

Best Regards,
Angelia

[Anonymous]

Exactly. That is the point. What great does apps do , if the users are unable to edit it ? Or apps can be distributed to free users even though the content is pro.

[v-huizhn-msft]

Hi @Anonymous,

Untill now, we are unable to edit the apps. You can create a idea here. If more people vote it, the product group may consider here.

Thanks,
Angelia