The new Chrome Apps: We pick the best

Google’s Chrome ecosystem has racked up its fair share of haters over the years—folks who insist that the browser-based operating system is useless without real applications.

Google has responded: Last week the company launched Chrome Apps, a set of desktop-like applications based on Web technologies. Many of these apps open in their own windows and work offline, and some have advanced features such as USB device support.

The current selection of Chrome Apps is small, but we’ve sorted through them to find 11 of the best. "Install"—either in Chrome for Windows or on a Chromebook—to get just a little more out of your browser.