I loved ChatGPT Desktop until OpenAI gutted it to make room for Codex and Work

David Gewirtz/ZDNET

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ZDNET's key takeaways

OpenAI added agentic tools and removed everyday features.

ChatGPT Work arrived, but the ChatGPT desktop app got worse.

ChatGPT still works best in the browser for most users.

Plans change. My initial plan for this article was to write a comparison between Claude Cowork and the brand new ChatGPT Work. But that wasn't to be, because getting started with ChatGPT Work turned out to be an adventure.

What fresh hell is this?

I primarily use ChatGPT on my Mac. On the Mac, there are two main ways (not counting all the third-party apps and extensions) to use ChatGPT: in the browser and as an app. I use both because each has its own features. For example, the Mac app has never been able to define and edit GPTs, but it can run them. You can create GPTs in the browser.

(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, ZDNET's parent company, filed an April 2025 lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)

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