Google Goes After Mindshare With Chrome For Mac

The second kind of apps are packaged ones. They run in a separate window and feel more like an independent app, though they are still part of Chrome. According to Google, packaged apps are only used by around 1% of Windows, Mac, and Linux users, but for Chromebook users they're a part of the regular experience.

Why it won't really matter Before you start worrying about losing some of your favorite parts of Google Chrome—relax, unless you're part of that 1%. SEE: (TechRepublic) What's really going away are packaged apps that run in separate windows.

Hosted apps still need to be converted to a web app format, but the transition process is just something for developers to worry about. By 2018, you won't even notice a change, and even those that use packaged apps will probably have them made available as a web app. The 3 big takeaways for TechRepublic readers. Chrome apps are going away for Windows, Mac, and Linux. In their place will be web-hosted apps that run in a browser tab just like any other website.

Only 1% of Windows, Mac, and Linux users will be affected by the change, as they're the only ones using packaged Chrome apps that run in a different fashion from a web app. The change will be happening over the next two years and will largely go unnoticed by the average user.