They’ve done this using the “Metro style enabled desktop browser” capability Microsoft provided in Windows 8. Google has now replaced this full-screen browser window with a Chrome OS-style desktop, complete with window management, a taskbar, an app launcher, and integrated Chrome notifications. Prior to Chrome 32, Chrome’s Windows 8 interface was simply a full-screen version of the Chrome browser window. RELATED: Forget Chromebooks: Chrome OS is Coming to Windows However, when they’re set as your default web browser, they can present themselves as full-screen, Windows 8-style apps. The third type of app is a “Metro style enabled desktop browser.” Such browsers can run as desktop applications with full access to anything a desktop application could do.
Windows desktop applications function normally, but can’t run in the new Metro (now “Windows 8-style”) interface. “Metro apps” have very restricted capabilities and must be distributed through the app store.
When Microsoft announced Windows 8, they said that there were three types of Windows 8 apps. How Does This Work? Doesn’t Microsoft Restrict Windows 8 Apps?
