Google recently announced the Windows Start button-like app launcher for Chrome for Windows.
This will be an easy way to launch Chrome packaged apps, and bring to light a new way to write apps that are based on Chrome and technology that behaves like native apps.
The apps packaged for Chrome are going to be based on HTMl5, Javascript and CSS. They will behave more like native apps and ahve access to Chrome’s API and services which aren’t available to regular sites.
Up until now developers could not set apps to discoverable in the store, only upload and package them to test.
More than likely this is just a prelude to a large packaged apps release. Google announced today that, “now is a great time to get some early feedback and polish your app before Chrome packaged apps become more broadly available.”
Most of the packaged apps in the store according to Google are “works in progress.” This is mainly a launch for the developers.