The interface is better than previous version, but the idea is that, using Microsoft's words, "tile is better than icon", because it gives more information rather than just an icon, a shortcut. In android/google world, tile is actually another name of "widget", and because we love widget in android, chrome should do the same. Chrome app is nothing right now, google's chrome apps are simply shortcuts, and people don't need it. What make an application useful is not only about to add an icon on homepage, but rather have to provide service. chrome extensions in this way are actually better applications because they give me more functionality than most of the chrome apps. Such as allowing me to send content to phone, to copy pure text without formatting, to add tasks or remove ads. for example, gtalk on chrome is a very useful extension, but again, it is not an app. so developers, if you want to sell chrome app or make chrome web store more useful, you should provide services rather than icons. just like "send to phone", i would actually pay for it if it has a price.