Can someone explain Google Chrome "Apps" to me?

[Matt Meiser]

I've been using iGoogle for years and Google is discontinuing it. I like it because I can see a few news sources, my email, weather, and a short list of bookmarks in one view. They claim Chrome is a replacement so I downloaded it. I tried adding some "Apps" to Chrome which seems to pretty much just create a big icon on the default New Tab that opens a web site in a new tab--maybe a special "chrome" version of the web site--but still just a web site in a new tab. What's the point? How is this any different than saving a bookmark?

[David Weaver]

I don't follow a lot of what chrome does, though I use chrome. I used to love reader, too, and used igoogle and reader a lot. I wonder what the motivation is for discontinuing support for what seem to be heavily used products - they must not have been set up the way they want them to be to collect personal information and generate advertising revenue and data.

[Matt Meiser]

There's no advertising on iGoogle--that's my guess.

[Steve Wurster]

Not all apps in Chrome are web pages. For example, at work I have an app installed in Chrome for doing HTTP-based testing. Doesn't really look like a web page, and doesn't send requests to a remote web site. The first app I remember for Chrome was a version of Angry Birds that ran inside the browser.