Items tagged with Chromebook
There's a lot like about Chromebooks. They are perfect for many basic computer users who only need to check email, surf the web, and type out the occasional document. Perhaps the biggest upside to buying a Chromebook is that they tend to be much less expensive than many Windows computers. Chromebooks also have excellent battery life and tend to have fewer problems with viruses and malware than other computers. Now we're learning about another potential upside: anyone who's purchased a Chromebook recently could be eligible for some cool free games. The free games include Doom, Doom II, and The Elder Scrolls: Legends, Fall of the Dark Brotherhood expansion. The only downside is that the free games...
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Lenovo has rolled out a new Chromebook called the Chromebook Duet. The machine has a unique two-in-one detachable form factor with a touch-optimized user interface and a 10.1-inch screen. Lenovo's gadget very much looks like a Chromebook version of the Microsoft Surface Go, and it was designed to be very portable with a profile 7.35mm thick in tablet mode and a weight of 920g. The removable ultra-thin keyboard has a trackpad allowing users to stay more productive on the go. Duet's 10.1-inch display has 400 nits of brightness and supports full HD resolution at 1920 x 1200. Internal storage is 128 GB, and buyers get 100 GB of free Google One storage for one year. The MediaTek Helio P60T processor...
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HP has launched several new Chromebook computers that aim at enterprise users who need machines that need cost effective and powerful. One of the devices is the HP Pro c640 Chromebook Enterprise that is designed for working in the cloud. The c640 is powered by 10th generation Intel processors and has up to 12 hours of battery life per charge. If the battery runs out of power, the Chromebook charges quickly via HP Fast Charge, taking the battery to 90% in 90 minutes. Hallmarks of the c640 include durability featuring an aluminum exterior designed to pass rigorous MIL-STD testing. C640's water-resistant keyboard can survive being doused in up to 350ml of water. The Chromebook features the HP Privacy...
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In a potential move that could shake things up in the mobile space, Google might be taking a page from Apple by designing its own system-on-chip (SoC) hardware for future Pixel smartphones and lower end Chromebook devices. If that turns out to be the case, it would be disappointing news for Qualcomm, and good news for Samsung. Google has traditionally leaned on Qualcomm to power its smartphones. For example, the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL wield a Snapdragon 855 processor, while the previous generation Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL both touted a Snapdragon 845 SoC. The same is true of the upcoming Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a XL—they are rumored to run on a Snapdragon 730 chip. By shifting design chores in-house,...
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Samsung is getting ready to launch a premium Chromebook. Called the Galaxy Chromebook, it wields a 13.3-inch 4K (3840x2160) AMOLED touchscreen display powered by an 10th generation Intel 'Comet Lake-U' processor, and commands $999. It will be available to purchase starting April 6, 2020, for those who are looking for a high-end Chromebook. That is a steep price to pay for a 2-in-1 device that runs Chrome OS instead of Windows 10. To be fair, though, it is also one of the lesser expensive laptops—regardless of the operating system—to feature an OLED screen. And in this case, it is a touchcreen panel with a 4K resolution to boot, packed into a frame that measures a scan 9.9mm and weights...
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The Google for Education team has announced good news for schools that have embraced Chromebooks or those who are looking to add a bunch of Chromebooks this year. Google routinely sends out security updates and features to Chromebook devices every six weeks, and it says that it works with manufacturers to be sure schools get the most out of the updates. Google says that all new devices for 2020 will now have a longer life and will receive updates through 2028. Along with longer life for machines, the updates will also bring more capabilities, including touchscreens and improved user interfaces along with a new price for the Chrome Education Upgrade program. Google is aiming to simplify IT for...
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In an announcement seemingly out of left field, Google recently disclosed that it is working to bring the Steam client to its popular Chrome OS platform. This of course would give the millions of Chromebooks access to another popular library of games, as well as possibly game-streaming. This news was revealed in an interview that Android Police conducted with Chrome OS Product Development Director Kan Liu last week at CES. The development will be made possible by the fact that Chrome OS is built using Linux as a foundation, and the Steam of course supports Linux. Running the Steam client in a Linux environment is currently possible with Chromebooks, but it is not an "official" solution...
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Chromebooks are becoming a popular option for consumers (and especially educational institutions) thanks to their portability and often lower prices than comparable Windows machines. CES 2020 has seen several Chromebooks unveiled, and more will certainly be coming in the future. A report talks up the possibility of a new Chromebook developed under the codename Drallion and has a cool new feature: an electronic privacy screen. One of the biggest worries for people who work on sensitive projects and need to keep data away from prying eyes by preventing people from looking over their shoulder. To help protect privacy, multiple companies make aftermarket privacy filters that can be attached to the...
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Google's new Pixelbook Go is a bit of an anomaly in the company's line of Chromebooks. Neither a folding, swiveling ultra-premium device like the original Google Pixelbook, nor a tablet like the Pixel Slate, the company's newest release is a traditional clamshell design, although one that features a touch-enabled display. It looks, feels, and behaves like a conventional laptop, but with its magnesium chassis, 1080p touchscreen, and quiet "Hush Keys," one that's small, light, feature-rich and well-made. That said, though its premium mobile laptop is fairly conventional, Google's Pixelbook line takes a somewhat unconventional cloud-first approach to computing on the go. Pixelbook Go...
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If you're a school that makes use of Chromebooks in the classroom instead of iPads, Apple's Phil Schiller would like a word with you. Apple's iPad were once the "darling" of classrooms around the United States as kids could use the tablets for interactive lessons and as digital textbooks. However, in recent years, Chromebooks have begun to flood classrooms due to their cheaper pricing and built-in keyboard/touchpad threatening Apple’s long stronghold on the education market. With Chromebooks being the go-to choice for many school districts, Schiller slammed the initiative as not being beneficial to students or their learning. In an interview with CNET that focused primarily on...
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Google has officially announced the Pixelbook Go, just days after a massive leak made its way to the internet. The Pixelbook Go is the latest in a long line of Chrome OS devices from Google, and one that is aimed at hitting a cheaper price point to make it more appealing to a broader range of people. As we were all expecting, the Pixelbook Go is a 13.3-inch class laptop available with a 1080p panel or an optional 4K “Molecular Display”. We should also mention that unlike previous Pixelbook devices, the Pixelbook Go has forgone the 3:2 aspect ratio in favor of a 16:9 ratio. The design of the laptop is rather organic, with rounded corners. However, the most striking feature...
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Chromebook fans who have been on the lookout for more details on the Pixelbook Go will be glad to hear that the device has surfaced in full detail. One of the key design traits of the Pixelbook Go is a grippy, waved surface on the back of the machine offering tactile feel when holding it. The machine in the images is said to be the "Not Pink" model. The strange logo on top of the notebook is reportedly just a placeholder, while the standard "G" logo will be featured on the production model. As for ports and connectivity for the Pixelbook Go, the machine has a USB-C port and a 3.5mm headphone port, there is also a charging LED to let users know when the juice is flowing. Opening the lid of the...
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Hewlett-Packard has just unwrapped a duo of new Chromebook devices, which are increasingly becoming popular due to the versatile nature of Google’s Chrome OS and affordable pricing. The new devices are the Chromebook x360 12b and the Chromebook x360 14b. Both share the same design language, with the main distinction being with screen size. The Chromebook x360 12b features a 12-inch HD+ display (1366x912), while the Chromebook x360 14b brings with it a larger 14-inch panel that can be had in either HD (1366x768) or FHD resolutions. Both of the devices feature a 360-degree hinge for using it in laptop or tablet modes (or anything in-between). HP Chromebook x360 14b With either device, you're...
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Dell has announced the world's first Chromebook Enterprise devices in conjunction with Google. The devices also support Dell Unified Workspace, which provides a seamless (to the end user) platform for automating the deployment and management of devices across mixed OS environments. To promote this new secure platform, Dell has announced the Latitude 5400 Chromebook Enterprise and the Latitude 5300 2-in-1 Chromebook Enterprise. The Latitude 5400 and Latitude 5400 2-in-1 are equipped with 8th generation Intel Core processors (up to a Core i7) and up to 32GB of DDR4-2666 memory (2 DIMM slots). Where the primary differences lay are with the displays on each machine. The Latitude 5400 is rocking...
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Google is taking a page out of Apple's playbook and is taking time to poke fun at some of the stereotypical things that the Windows operating system falls short on for some users. To do so, it brought in Bill Nye (yes that Bill Nye) to poke fun at Windows for things like slow booting and hints at poor virus protection. However, Bill doesn't actually talk all that much about the Chromebook he is using in the video, which is HP branded. He spends most of his time talking about what causes fear in humans, the fear of changing to Chromebook, and so on. There is also another very short spot that is on Instagram that has Bill talking about stacking up cash and dropping the f-bomb if you want to check...
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HP has announced the new Chromebook 15 which is priced at $449. HP offers the machine in Mineral Silver and Cloud Blue colors and both have a metal keyboard deck with a sandblasted finish and a ceramic-like white finished cover. As a Chromebook, the machine runs Chrome OS. Inside the Chromebook 15 has an Intel Pentium Gold 4417U processor paired with 4GB of DDR4-2133 RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage. Graphics are handled by Intel HD Graphics 610, and the sound system is by B&O with dual speakers. One of the hallmarks of Chromebooks is long battery life, and the HP Chromebook 15 delivers that with up to 13 hours of runtime per charge. Other features include Intel 802.11 b/g/n/ac...
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It appears as though Google or one of its partners is getting ready to release a new Chromebook model, if a newly leaked video is any indication. Codenamed "Atlas," it was originally thought this would be a Made by Google laptop, just like the Pixelbook. If so, it would likely carry a premium price tag, for a Chromebook—a Pixelbook currently starts at $799 (on sale from $999) and stretches up to $1,449 (on sale from $1,649). Atlas is a name that has shown up on the rumor radar before, next to Nocturne and Meowth. Nocturne turned out to be a Pixel Slate, while Meowth appears to have been a scrapped concept for a convertible Pixelbook. Whether it's actually dead or lying in wait remains to...
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Google announced that Chrome OS 72 is ready and rolling out to Chromebooks and other devices right now. This latest update to Google's popular operating system brings with it a number of feature enhancements including support for Android 9 Pie. A key goal of the Android 9 Pie design was to utilize AI software to a higher degree. Using AI, an adaptive battery function helps to extend battery life, and an improved adaptive brightness feature learns how you like the brightness set on your device in different situations and automatically adjusts itself for your convenience. Both of these features help to extend your battery life as the software tailors itself to you. Parts of Chrome OS 72 also comes...
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Just a week ago, we brought you news that support for Instant Tethering on non-Google phones had been added to the latest developer build of Chrome OS. Previously, the feature had been exclusive to Google Nexus/Pixel smartphones paired with Google-branded Chromebook and Pixel Slate devices. Today, however, Google has officially announced broad support for Instant Tethering for over a dozen Chromebooks from third-party OEMs and nearly three dozen compatible smartphones. With Instant Tethering enabled, you can quickly and easily access the data connection of your smartphone for use on your Chrome OS device. To get started, both your compatible Chrome OS device and Android smartphone will...
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One of the coolest aspects of a Chromebook for those who are working on the go is the Chrome OS Instant Tethering feature that easily gets users online. The caveat with that feature is that you had to be using a Google Nexus or Pixel device for it to work. That will soon be changing with reports that the version of Chrome OS currently in the Beta and Dev channels supports Instant Tethering with non-Google smartphones. Exactly how many non-Google smartphones are compatible with Instant Tethering is unclear. Users on the Beta and Dev versions have reported that Instant Tethering works on multiple models from Samsung and OnePlus. Previously for your Chrome device and Android phone to support Instant...
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In an attempt to get the jump on the competition, Acer today announced two new lightweight consumer oriented laptops. The more interesting of these two systems is Acer's new Chromebook 315, which the company said is the first to feature an A-Series AMD processor with Radeon graphics. Acer's Chromebook 315 will be available with either an AMD A4-9120C or a more powerful AMD A6-9220C. These new CPUs are both based on AMD's 8th generation Excavator microarchitecture. These processors are largely similar to their A4-9120 and A6-9220 counterparts, but feature a TDP of 6 watts instead of 15 watts along with tweaked CPU and GPU speeds. The Chromebook 315 will ship with either a 1366x768 or 1080p 15.6"...
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Like it or not, the world is trending towards completely wireless solutions, or at least that is the direction some hardware makers are intent on going. As such, Google developed a set of specs called Fast Pair to make it easier to connect Bluetooth headsets and speakers to Android devices. Fast Pair is an involving standard, with Google having now added the ability to sync data across a user's Google account. "Today, we're making it easier for people to connect Fast Pair compatible accessories to devices associated with the same Google Account. Fast Pair will connect accessories to a user's current and future Android phones (6.0+), and we're adding support for Chromebooks in 2019," Google stated...
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