The latest version of Google Chrome browser lets you install web apps from the Chrome Web Store, some of which will even work in offline mode.

Now if you are to launch any of these web apps, you first have to open a new tab page (Ctrl+T) in Chrome and then click on the relevant app icon.

There’s however a more efficient option as well. Get the App Launcher extension and it will add a button to Chrome which upon clicking will show a list of all your installed apps. There’s no longer a need to open another tab for launching apps.

This is more like the Windows Start Menu – you’ve a list of installed programs accessible always no matter what program you’re currently working on except that you can’t search for apps here.