Google Will Kill Its Chrome App Launcher For Windows, Mac, and Linux In July 77
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."
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Sure, ever heard of Hangouts?
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unfortunately.
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Re:really? (Score:5, 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 /.
Re: really? (Score:1)
Why bother with it? They will just turn it off or change it once it is good.
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Google Chat was fine but they had to screw it up again
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Nope, it was Google's abominable attempt to ditch Gtalk, a relatively decent Jabber client which significantly pre-dated Facebook messanger. In fact, Facebook was all of 2 years old when gtalk was released... so... Get your facts straight troll?
Re: really? (Score:1)
This, I loathe Chrome as a browser, but cannot use Google talk anymore so I have Chrome installed exclusively for a launcher for Hangouts.
I would never consider using it as a web browser.
I think I can speak for most people... (Score:5, Insightful)
...when I say "Wait; you're killing what?"
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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.
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Re: Google will kill its what? (Score:3)
Re: well that is a bummer (Score:4, 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'.
Good (Score:4, 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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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.
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Would you prefer "Windows 8 and 10 search"?
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native OS methods
Because native OS methods are not multi-platform? .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.
Because of the same reason Java Virtual Machine came out in the 90s.
Because of the same reason why double clicking a
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Funtoo forever!
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I opted for the major configuration work. It involved typing "do-release-upgrade" and getting a coffee. The hardest part about this was building ... my coffee. Everything else either converted to systemd unit files automagically or is being run in legacy where systemd simply executes the init script.
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As opposed to what? Explorer/Edge? Safari?
I didn't even know taht the app launcher was a thing but I'll take a browser that I can install ad and script blocking on over one that I can not.
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Safari has ad and script blockers. Welcome to years and years ago?
Postman (Score:1)
Apparently, you never use Chrome Postman plugin...
I use it daily, and I prefer to have it separate from Chrome:
http://www.getpostman.com/docs/
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/postman/fhbjgbiflinjbdggehcddcbncdddomop?hl=en
I use Hangouts Dialer - but not Chrome (Score:1)
... So is there another way to start it without the full Chrome browser UI?
Backwards (Score:5, Informative)
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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.
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I started using it as well to launch Signal for Desktop. I don't even know how to launch it from the browser!
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Exactly. How the hell do I launch Chrome Remote Desktop or Hangouts from the browser? Do I now need to have even more icons on my taskbar?
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Begging the question (Score:1)
THIS is what "begging the question" means, by the way.
(I am, of course, referring to the SowhyisGoogleremovingtheChromeapplauncherfromChrome?Well,itturnsoutGooglehasfinallyfiguredoutwhateveryoneallalreadyknew:)
No (Score:5, 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.
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+1 to this.
Hangouts is a joke (besides the poor UI and everything must be represented in a circle) and the fact that you have to use Chrome or load gmail in a browser for the hangouts component is shitty.
At least Google Talk is separated and independent.
Also bring back XMPP federation.
I mostly use Wickr and Telegram now.
Hell No! (Score:5, 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.
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While we're at it, how about we insist web pages stop trying to act more like "apps?"
I can't tell you how many web sites refuse to respond properly to the "Back" button thanks to all the AJAX baloney. Web pages should be stand-alone as well!
abominations (Score:2)
So all these google apps are really just contained in chrome.exe and they don't even try to always use OS native window API. As end result, you get all kinds of visual artifacts with these crapps.
everyone all already knew that timothy is stupid (Score:2)
Everyone all, I presume, means even more than everyone. Something like the population of the world squared?
Except me (Score:2)
Are the full time outraged taking a day off? (Score:2)
"The main reason for its removal is the fact that Google's metrics show little to no usage for the Chrome app launcher."
There you have it, telemetry. Where are the angry crowds with torches and pitchforks?
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Camped out in front of Microsoft building.
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There are a few useful Chrome apps. Google Remote Desktop is actually pretty good, although the server component is a bit annoying. And it is an exception, in that it actually makes a good desktop app.
But most of them are only really useful in the browser, so there is no need for a launcher. Gmail Offline, Web Store, Everycircuit - they are all browser based, so of course users prefer to start them from the browser.
It is strange that it took Google years to realise such a simple fact.
Why don't native apps? (Score:3)
From within the browser... (Score:1)