Chrome Apps let you use HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript to deliver an experience comparable to a nativeapplication.
Why build a Chrome App?
By building a Chrome App, as opposed to going with a traditional web app or a native mobile app, youexpand your potential audience and extend your development capability.
Expand your potential audience
When you write a Chrome App, as opposed to an app that runs natively on a particular operatingsystem, you immediately make your app available to a much wider audience.
To any desktop
Instead of writing and maintaining separate applications for Windows, OS X and Linux, you can writea single application that runs anywhere Chrome runs. This includes Windows, Linux, and OS X.
To mobile devices [via Cordova]
Using Chrome Apps for Mobile (MCA), you can deploy your applications to mobile and targethardware features only available on Android and IOS platforms.
And of course, to a Chromebook
Writing a Chrome App is the ONLY way to have your app installed on a Chromebook. Chromebooks areappealing, inexpensive, low maintenance devices that provide a full web experience.
Extend your development capability
You might be thinking, "If I write a standard web application, I can run it on any platform that hasa web browser." Of course, this is absolutely right, but remember that Chrome Apps extend yourdevelopment capacity beyond what you can do with traditional web apps:
- Chrome Apps can integrate seamlessly into the desktop and look more like desktop applications thantraditional web apps.
- Chrome Apps for Desktop have no omnibox (address bar) and tab strip like normal browser-basedapps, because like native desktop apps, they don't live in a browser.
- The Chrome App Launcher makes it easy for users to find and start your Chrome App.
- OS X users can use the integrated spotlight search to find and start your app.
- Chrome Apps for Desktop can access the host computer's file system and make use of hardwarefeatures (like USB, Bluetooth and attached human interface devices).
The best way to see what Chrome Apps look like is to install some.
Who should build Chrome Apps?
Everyone! But some sectors have a special interest in Chrome Apps.
Device manufacturers
The cross platform nature of Chrome Apps makes writing device drivers less painful. A devicemanufacturer only needs to write one application for configuring their device and it will run on anydevice.
Educators
Chromebooks are an inexpensive, low-maintenance option for bringing laptops into every classroom.Chrome Apps make teaching easy with easy to install applications that run natively on Chromebooks.For example:
Health care providers
One pediatric service has so far saved tens of thousands of dollars using Chrome Apps onChromebooks.
Chrome Dev Editor
Use the full featured IDE in the Chrome Dev Editor.
