Chrome gets app launcher on Windows dev preview

Chromebooks have had the luxury of an app launcher for quite a while, but now Windows users can get in on the action too, provided they download the latest version of Chrome from the browser's dev channel. In order for the launcher to appear in the taskbar, however, those running the fresh release will need to install a Chrome packaged app -- an application written in HTML, CSS and JavaScript that opens outside the browser and works offline by default. Packaged programs aren't searchable on the Chrome Web Store just yet, but folks can code their own or head to the Chromium Blog for a pair of software suggestions. Linux and Mac OS X are penciled in to receive the launcher soon via the dev channel, but there's no word on when it might find its way into a mainstream release of Chrome. Ready to take the feature for a spin? Hit the source link to let Mountain View point you in the right direction.