Items tagged with Chromebook
Labor Day weekend has arrived, and with it comes the usual crop of sales. Where do you begin? As always, Amazon is a great starting place, with its steady stream of bargains. This holiday weekend is no exception. We sifted through some of the deals and picked out some of the more interesting discounts on various electronics, like the super-affordable Windows laptop shown above. If it is an inexpensive Windows laptop you are after, then definitely check out this Teclast notebook, which on sale for $265.49 at Amazon (save $84.50). The low price comes by way of an initial discount, plus an additional $30 savings by checking the coupon box on the product page. What about the Teclast brand, though?...
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Taking some apparent inspiration from Apple, Google is reportedly planning to design its own custom central processing units (CPUs) for future Chromebook models, and also for use in tablets. The chips will be based on Arm, but designed in-house to Google's own specifications, which could allow greater integration between hardware and software. Apple is in the midst of doing the same thing, having embarked on a two-year transition plan to move entirely way from Intel's x86 processors and become wholly reliant on its own Arm-based designs. This has manifested with the first Apple Silicon design dubbed M1 currently found in a handful of devices, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini,...
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Chromebooks are the devices that many schools use for day-to-day work through 1:1 programs, so if there is a broken update, it could spell bad news. Unfortunately, it seems this is what happened with update 91.0.4472.165, as users found they could not log in. Google has since indicated that it is working on a fix for the issue. Noted over on Reddit yesterday, the “stable” update released (91.0.4472.165) prevented users from logging in to their Chromebooks. The only known fix would be to wipe the Chromebook through a process called “powerwashing,” which could be problematic if you had anything saved locally to the device. Since then, Google has been made abundantly aware...
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Check Out These Great Chromebook Options From Some Of The Most Trusted Names In Computing Unless you've been living under a rock, you already know that the Chromebook market is red hot at the moment. The COVID-19 pandemic and the sharp increase in demand for cheap computing devices from everyday consumers and school systems has led to a significant surge in Chromebook adoption. With this in mind, we decided to pull together a roundup of three current-generation Chromebooks that cover a broad pricing spectrum from Lenovo, ASUS, and Acer. Our Video Deep-Dive Of Chromebook Contenders Lenovo Duet Convertible Chromebook At the low-end is the Lenovo Duet, which has a starting MSRP of $230 in its 64GB...
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2020 was a miserable time for many of us due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The loss of life, mandatory lockdowns, and not knowing when life would get back to normal weighed heavily on the minds of many people. During that time, however, the necessity of working (and learning) from home meant that PC sales soared dramatically. According to Canalys' data in early January, full-year 2020 PC sales jumped 11 percent, marking the most significant leap since 2010. Today, Canalys is back again with data from Q1 2021, and it's once again looking good for the PC market. According to the research firm, this was the fourth consecutive quarter of growth for the industry, and overall, PC shipments increased 53.1...
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As classes are being held remotely and students still need to get work done, having a device versatile to handle it all is essential. Thus, Lenovo has announced a new line of Chromebooks and Windows laptops geared toward education, and they seem rather impressive. There are features for students, educators, and administrators which should up the game across-the-board. Lenovo Chromebooks When you think "Chromebook," there is typically an image that comes to mind, including rounded edges, matte colors, and pokey performance. With Lenovo's 14e, that idea of a Chromebook is torn down with a sleek finish that makes the 14e look quite professional. Besides the looks, the Lenovo 14e...
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Thanks to COVID-19 and students doing their schoolwork from home, there might be some contention for the family PC, when all they really need is a Chromebook and internet access. The good news is that while it's not Black Friday yet, it's definitely November, which is means a huge season of deals is now under way. Amazon in particular has a huge list of Chromebook deals that can be yours for under $300 and perhaps restore a little sanity to our homes. We'll start off today's festivities with a trio of machines that have quite a bit in common. All three of these Chromebooks have Intel's Celeron N4000 processor, which has a dual-core CPU that can hit upwards of 2.6 GHz. The first two are...
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As Chromebooks are an important part of education and are becoming a bigger part of the work-from-home toolkit, performance and power is needed more than ever. Now that AMD has announced their lineup of mobile processors to power Chrome OS, a little competition with Intel is in the works. The Ryzen 3000 Zen 2 and Athlon "C" mobile processors will bring Zen performance to the Chromebook with partners such as ASUS, Google, and Lenovo. These new mobile CPUs will range from 2 to 4 cores (up to 8 threads) with a TDP of 15 watts across the board. With Zen and Zen+ architecture on 14nm and 12nm process nodes respectively, we should see decent performance and battery life. According to AMD,...
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Google is working toe decouple its Chrome browser from the Chrome OS window manager and system UI, and while on the surface that might sound like a puzzling move, there is a method the company's madness. By separating Chrome from Chrome OS, Google could theoretically extend the relevancy of an aging Chromebook. Chrome and Chrome OS are intertwined. The system UI and browser share the same binary. Where this can become problematic is when a Chromebook reaches its Auto Update Expiration (AUE) date, At that point, automatic updates are no longer doled out, and owners of an affected model could lose some key functionality. "Chrome devices that have not reached their AUE date will continue to receive...
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NVIDIA has announced that its game streaming service GeForce NOW is finally adding support for Google ChromeOS devices. Users on affordable and lower power Chromebook laptops can now play high-end video games using the streaming service, joining in with their PC, Mac, Android, and SHIELD counterparts. To get started, Chromebook owners will need to sign up for a free or paid Founders GeForce NOW membership. NVIDIA currently has a deal going on memberships with a six-month Founders membership for $24.95. The membership includes a Hyper Scape Season One Battle Pass token along with exclusive Hyper Scape in-game content. Any Chromebook owner who signs up for GeForce NOW will want to connect a USB...
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There's a lot to like about the Google Chrome OS and the lower-priced desktop and laptop devices that run it. Currently, typical Chrome OS devices look more like traditional laptops or tablets, however, that could be changing with a new rumor suggesting that Google is working on a dual-screen Chromebook. Google's dual-screen Chromebook is reportedly code-named "Palkia." It's described as having two touchscreens and a trackpad. Dual-screen laptops aren't new, as there are Windows laptops on the market today that have a secondary screen in the keyboard area to allow users to view more content at once. Microsoft is also at work developing an operating system specifically for dual-screen devices...
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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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