Dear BigBlueMan,
In brief, yes and no. As a Virtual Realty Consultant (Sr. Web Designer/Developer since 2002), I too was confused by the differences and similarities between Adaptive/Mobile/Responsive Web sites and Mobile Apps. However, after working with WordPress for several years, currently 3.9, and Graphene Mobile Neo it is easy to see that both offer some mutually exclusive benefits..
It really depends on your business and weather you prefer a fast dime or a slow dollar. In most cases, however, the smart money is on responsive design for it’s low maintenance and enterprise level metrics:
Responsive Web Design vs. Mobile Web App: What’s Best for Your Enterprise?
Apps, Mobile Sites, or Responsive Design? What’s Right for Your Institution?
Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance and I welcome any comments, concerns, or questions you may have BigBlueMan.
Heather & Cory Buford
Toledo Neighborhood Block Watch Chairs & Sector 6 Leaders