Items tagged with ChromeOS
Late last week, and to little fanfare, Google began inviting people to opt into the beta channel for ChromeOS to help the company "shape the future" of the OS. Some betas can be riskier than others, but Google says that opting into this one is just a "little risk", one that will pay off handsomely for those who crave new features. New in this version is Chrome Launcher 2.0, which gives you quick access to a number of common features, including the apps you use most often (examples are Hangouts, Calculator, and Files). Some apps have also received a fresh coat of paint, such as the file manager, seen below. Google notes that this is just the start, so there will be more updates rolling out to...
Read more...
Google is always tweaking its products, and Chrome OS has one substantial change coming regarding the look and features of its windows management. (That’s “windows” not “Windows”, mind you.) Google “Happiness Evangelist” François Beaufort posted a screenshot that shows a stacked set of open windows with a search bar and bookmarks along an area at the bottom. The new look doesn’t quite appear ready for primetime (it’s admittedly a first draft), but a more powerful tool to manage open windows in Chrome OS would be a welcome innovation. Beaufort stated in the G+ post that you can actually track the new user experience as it’s developed...
Read more...
Chromebooks are slowly gaining traction in the PC market, and ASUS is pushing the trend with a pair of new models, the 11.6-inch C200 and the 13.3-inch C300 (both 1366x768). Both are powered by Intel Bay Trail-M N28230 (2.42GHz) dual-core processors and boast up to 10 hours of battery life. ASUS C200 Chromebook The C200 weighs just 2.5lbs and measure 0.8 inches thick, while the C300 is 3.1lbs and 0.9 inches thick. They feature a large touchpad with multi-gesture support and hidden hinge for a more svelte look. ASUS designed the stereo speakers with extra large chambers for bigger sound output. ASUS C300 Chromebook These chromebooks also feature a 720p HD front camera, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of...
Read more...
Microsoft has done a good job of embracing the cloud as it pertains to its lucrative consumer products--look no further than Office 365 and the free online Office suite at Office.com as proof--but the Redmond company may be taking things even further by rolling out a cloud-based operating system, too. The information is from Russian leaker WZOR, which noted that rumors that Windows 9 or Windows 8.2 will be free could actually point to a free version that would actually be cloud-based. It’s somewhat difficult to parse the language of WZOR’s post on the matter with a rough Google translation, but it appears as though users could download and install the so-called “Windows Cloud”...
Read more...
Buried under the typical eye-glazing congratulatory corporate-speak that is a mutual press release announcing cooperation between two companies is a curious nugget of information: Dell might start making Xbox consoles. Taking a step back here, the announcement pertains to Microsoft and Dell signing a patent licensing agreement wherein they’ll license each other’s intellectual property as it pertains to Android and Chrome OS devices as well as Xbox consoles. “Under the terms of the agreement, they agreed on royalties for Dell’s products running the Android or Chrome platforms and on consideration to Dell for a license for Xbox gaming consoles,” reads the announcement....
Read more...
To date, we've shown you a few versions of Chromebook notebooks, like the Acer C720 Chromebook and Google's own Chromebook Pixel. Today, however, we have a look at the very first "official" Chromebox to hit the market and it comes to us by way of ASUS. The ASUS Chromebox is a tiny palm-sized machine similar in form and footprint to Intel's line of NUC (Next Unit of Computing) mini PCs or the tiny Zotac ZBox Nano. It just so happens that all of these machines are also powered by integrated Intel processors and the ASUS Chromebox is no different, though it employs Intel's 4th generation Haswell Core series processor architecture with Integrated HD 4400 graphics. Sure, there's a fair...
Read more...
Google's Chrome OS is an open source operating system that is designed to offer fast, simple, and secure computing for connected devices. That's not to say the Chrome operating system can't function offline, but connected to the cloud is where users can harness the full power of Google's cloud services and storage infrastructure. To date, we've shown you a few versions of chromebooks, like the Acer C720 Chromebook and Google's own Chromebook Pixel. Today, however, we have a look at the very first "official" Chromebox to hit the market and it comes to us by way of ASUS. The ASUS Chromebox is a tiny palm-sized machine similar in form and footprint to Intel's line of NUC (Next...
Read more...
Just as inexpensive laptops running Google’s Chrome OS are looking to eat away at traditional PCs’ market share, there’s a new spate “chromeboxes” that are designed to do the same on the desktop side. ASUS’ $179 Chromebox model is now available for preorder at Amazon, Newegg, and Tiger Direct, with more coming. The ASUS Chromebox-M004U features an Intel Celeron 2955U processor with integrated Intel HD Graphics, 2GB of DDR3-1600MHz RAM, and 16GB of SSD storage. There’s a 10/100/1000 LAN port, dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, and Bluetooth 4.0 for communication. Ports include a 2-in-1 card reader, four USB 3.0, HDMI, DisplayPort, a Kensington Lock, and a mic/speaker...
Read more...
A collaboration between Google and VMware may remove a huge barrier to chromebook adoption in the enterprise by enabling legacy Windows applications to run on the Chrome OS machines. Chromebooks already offer strong upside for businesses with their low cost, easy management, and inherent OS-level security, and NPD says that chromebooks are already responsible for some 21% of all notebook sales in the commercial channel. However, the inability to run legacy Windows applications has been a difficult problem to overcome for Chrome OS computers. Let’s face it, if you work in a professional setting of any kind, you’re going to have to open, edit, and create documents and files that require...
Read more...
Way back in May 2012 (yeah, that was darn near two years ago now), Samsung rolled out a Chromebox--a compact desktop running Google’s Chrome OS. A year later, Google was touting Chromeboxes as ideal for kiosks, and now we’re seeing a spate of Chromeboxes designed for use by both individuals and businesses that portend a new wave of thin client-type cloud computing. ASUS just announced a Chromebox of its own, and HP has one in the works, too. ASUS promise at least two iterations, one with an Intel Celeron chip and one with an Intel Core i3, and HP will have a pair, too. Both will have Intel Haswell processors; one, called HP Chromebox for meetings, will actually rock a Core i7 chip,...
Read more...
HP and Google are set to debut an LTE version of the HP Chromebook 11, but the announcement came from neither company; instead, it’s from Altair, the company that’s making the actual LTE chip for the device. We are extremely proud to have been selected by Google and HP to power the world’s first low-cost LTE Chromebook,” said Eran Eshed, Co-Founder and Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Altair. “By focusing on 100% LTE and eliminating costly 3G components, we were able to help our partners lower the cost of this critical LTE connectivity feature.” The Google Chromebook Pixel has optional LTE, and other than the 3G-packing HP Chromebook...
Read more...
We’ve said our piece on Chrome OS--it’s nimble, snappy, easy to use, but not quite a full replacement for Windows or Mac OS X--and manufacturers are rolling out more hardware running Google’s homemade not-Android operating system. LG has the industry’s first all-in-one running Chrome OS ready to go, and the machine will be unveiled in full at CES 2014. The LG Chromebase (Model 22CV241) features a 21.5-inch full HD widescreen IPS display and a clean design. There’s an Intel Celeron chip inside, as well as 2GB of RAM, a 16GB iSSD, and integrated Intel graphics. There’s also an integrated 1.3MP (720p HD) webcam, built-in microphone, and 5W speakers. For connectivity,...
Read more...
Despite what some might view as a hamstrung operating system, the reason that Chromebooks are a tempting option is that most of them are very inexpensive. The one we’re looking at today, the Acer C720 Chromebook, costs a mere $249, which is about on par price-wise for many Chromebooks these days. The question then becomes, can such a device possibly replace a laptop? Here’s the good news: We have an answer for you, but it’s a complex answer, so you’ll have to read on to fully understand the big picture. Along the way, you’ll get a closer look at Chrome OS as well as the Acer C720 Chromebook itself. Acer C720 Chromebook Review...
Read more...
Let’s just be honest right off the bat: You’re probably not reading our review of this product so much to check out benchmarks and other performance indicators as you are to see if we’ll clarify whether or not Google's strange, new browser-based Chrome OS operating system is really worth investing in. Chrome OS is indeed essentially a browser-as-operating-system solution, so the vast majority of the computer’s functionality is tied directly to being connected at all times, and that may be a big hang-up for a lot of people when it comes to Chromebooks. (Except that there are still several things you can do offline, which we'll get into in a bit.) Most people are connected...
Read more...
Although AMD said in January that it was diving in strong with Windows 8 and was not interested in making chips for Android devices, senior vice president and general manager of global business units at AMD Lisa Su told PCWorld that the company may shift some of its focus to building chips for Google’s two operating systems and is in fact working with developers on Android apps for AMD processors. "We are very committed to Windows 8; we think it's a great operating system, but we also see a market for Android and Chrome developing as well," she said. Kabini-based AMD A6-Series APU It’s not hard to imagine why AMD would consider making chips for Android and Chrome OS devices. For one...
Read more...
Google’s Chromebook and Chromebox devices offer an interesting if not quite fully satisfying desktop experience, but perhaps the computers and their Chrome OS have found their true calling as public kiosks. Google announced a new Managed Public Sessions feature for the devices that allows companies (or organizations such as libraries) to set up and manage Chrome OS devices that give patrons a unique experience. Google believes that its built-in security features will keep cyber-nastiness away, and because of the design of the platform, Managed Public Sessions don’t require a login; instead, once a user’s session ends, all of that session’s data is wiped clean. Google offers...
Read more...
It's quite possible that Google's Chromebook launched ahead of its time. Is the world truly ready to embrace a cloud-centric operating system? Chromebook adoption has been sluggish for sure, but in the areas that Google is concentrating on, progress is still being made. Specifically, enterprise and education. In a recent report, Google has noted a surge in uptake in the latter department. As of now, 2,000 schools are using Chromebooks for Education, which is actually twice as much as just three months ago. The most recent schools to join the fray include: Transylvania County Schools in rural North Carolina deploying 900 devices; top Catholic prep school St.Thomas Aquinas High School in Florida...
Read more...
Google Drive has already hit the Mac, PC and Android worlds, with iOS, Linux and even Google's own Chrome OS still on the waiting list. Google made clear that iPhone and iPad owners would get served in a couple of weeks, and recently said that Linux users wouldn't be left out, either. But surely, surely Chrome OS is on the list to get a pinch of the company's cloud storage service, right? Right. This week, Google pushed out the first developer build of Chrome OS 20, and yes, there's support for Google Drive in there. According to those who have touched the new version, Drive is deeply intertwined within the OS now, and although basic for now, the promise is huge. Chrome OS was always built to...
Read more...
This week we peek at the computer enthusiast's wish list with our friends at TechVi. On the list this time around? We talk processors, video cards and notebooks / netbooks. Also, a peek at the D5000, Nikon's latest DSLR sexy-cam, and ChromiumOS, the pre-release version of ChromeOS from Google. Show Notes: 0:36 — Nikon D5000 DSLR, 2:01 — Gift Guide: Processors, 4:10 — Gift Guide: Video Cards, 6:18 — Gift Guide: Notebooks gift guide, 8:34 — Google ChromiumOS...
Read more...
