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Google Will Kill Its Chrome App Launcher For Windows, Mac, and Linux In July

Posted by timothy on from the wheat-from-chaff dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Google today announced plans to kill off the Chrome app launcher for Windows, Mac, and Linux in July. The tool, which lets users launch Chrome apps even if the browser is not running, will continue to live on in Chrome OS. So why is Google removing the Chrome app launcher from Chrome? Well, it turns out Google has finally figured out what everyone all already knew: "we've found that users on Windows, Mac, and Linux prefer to launch their apps from within Chrome."

15 of 77 comments (clear)

  1. Re:really? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Sure, ever heard of Hangouts?

  2. I think I can speak for most people... by BaronM · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...when I say "Wait; you're killing what?"

    1. Re:I think I can speak for most people... by thegarbz · · Score: 2

      Its another solution in search of a problem, in fact I would say Chrome "apps" are the same,

      No, it's a multi-platform execution environment designed to run programs from another system. The problem statement was quite simple which was how do you take apps based entirely on an OS-is-the-browser approach designed to run on a Hardware-is-the-browser system and make them work on other systems.

  3. Good by pushing-robot · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Why, exactly, do developers decide the native OS methods for finding and starting apps are insufficient and must be replaced with some ill-conceived launcher app? Google is far from the only offender here.

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    1. Re:Good by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      I am not so sure. Ever since they added it you could find and launch Google Apps from the native launcher windows. In Windows, by merely searching by keyword in Window's Cortana search, on OS X it was it appeared in Launchpad and Spotlight. If finding it in those locations disappear, I shall find it frustrating.

    2. Re:Good by thegarbz · · Score: 2

      native OS methods

      Because native OS methods are not multi-platform?
      Because of the same reason Java Virtual Machine came out in the 90s.
      Because of the same reason why double clicking a .exe file in Linux just makes the computer die a little inside, and the same reason when I type "systemctl start apache2" into the run bar in Windows I get an error.

  4. Backwards by jwymanm · · Score: 5, Informative

    Sorry, I must be one of the few that actually use this to even load chrome because it allows easy user switching right in the top right without loading a window first. Its like a perfect launcher with full keyboard usability.. just type what you want and bam you launch it. You don't have to litter your windows/gnome/etc interface with all of your Chrome "app" launchers. Added benefit is if you put it in the task tray and hit windows key+X it pops up and away you go. Not sure how people would be _happy_ yet another feature is removed this day and age. It seems like something that could easily stay in existence without much/if any work done on it. This is a step backwards seriously.

    1. Re:Backwards by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      Well, I use it too. Enough such that when it broke I found I could replace it with "C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" --show-app-list and put that in my task bar.

  5. Re:really? by darkain · · Score: 4, Informative

    You're thinking of Google+, Hangouts is their chat interface. Hangouts is more like Skype, but without the bullshit. Quite nice, actually, if they would stop with all the broken ass fucking beta bullshit in it. REMINDS ME OF /.

  6. No by DivineKnight · · Score: 4, Insightful

    People want you to bring back GTalk. And quit bundling your stuff so closely with Chrome. And then fire your Market research group...they appear to be drawn from the same people who thought Windows Vista was a winner.

  7. Hell No! by ipb · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Linux users do NOT want to launch everything from a browser.
    Ditch the stand alone launcher and the need for the browser.

    I want standalone programs for hangouts and chromecasting and that is all.
    I already don't like the overhead of chrome and it's crappy interface and I'm getting
    fed-up with the crashes and arbitrary chrome and hangout resets when I do leave them running.

    Make good programs, not crappy do everything browsers.

  8. Re: Google will kill its what? by slazzy · · Score: 2

    I actually like it, we use hangouts in our office and it's nice to run it outside of chrome.

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  9. Why don't native apps? by hyperar · · Score: 2

    I don't really care for Chrome apps, i'd love to have a fucking desktop hangouts app, how long has it been?

  10. Re: well that is a bummer by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 3, Insightful

    >The downside with it was that it wasn't obvious how to install it

    Really? The RPM always auto-installed it for me. The biggest problem I saw was users would look for Chrome under 'Chrome Apps' and it's under 'Internet' in the standard FreeDesktop grouping.

    Google should really be working on a way to handle this transparently so Hangouts, e.g., can stand alone under 'Internet'.

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  11. Re:really? by wardrich86 · · Score: 2

    What's wrong with Hangouts? It's like Facebook Messenger, only far more advanced and way better for group chats.