Category: Chromebook

One of the more popular Chromebooks of 2017 was the Samsung Chromebook Plus.  Now as we get an improved version of it for 2018, the Samsung Chromebook Plus V2.  Sporting a slight redesign, the big news on this update is the internals have been improved for better performance.

Internally, the Chromebook Plus V2 is powered by the Intel Celeron 3965Y clocked at 1.5GHz.  It is coupled with the Intel HD Graphics 615 but still has 4GB of RAM and 32GB of Storage.  While still very much entry level processors and graphics, it is a jump up from the previous version which was ARM based.  This should improve overall performance in Chrome OS but also should improve Android app performance.

A new commit found in the Chromium Gerrit suggest that eSIM support for Chrome OS is in the pipeline.  The commit is codenamed Project Hermes and while very little detail is in the commit about what exactly this would look like, it explicitly calls out eSIM support for the platform, allowing for cellular network support natively in devices.

Hermes is the codename for the project of implementing eSIM support for Chrome OS. Hermes will be responsible for delivering messages between devices with eSIM chips and carrier servers through profile downloads as well as service discovery for new carriers.

This could allow for an “always on” Chromebook that, in theory, could put it head-to-head against Microsoft with their always on Windows 10 laptops.

Back in February, I reviewed the Google Pixelbook and the Pixelbook Pen. My love of the Pixelbook that I expressed in that review remains the same today. It is the single best Chromebook I’ve ever used and probably one of the top three laptops I’ve ever used in general. But if you read that review, you know I was less than impressed with the Pixelbook Pen.

My general issues with the Pixelbook Pen came down to two key areas.  First, I did not like the AAAA battery that runs the Pen.  I thought at the time, and still do, that it creates unneeded battery waste.  Second was the price point.  At $99, I still think it is too expensive.  So if I still stand by my two primary issues with the Pen, why do I owe it an apology?  Simply put, I started using daily.  And I love it.

If you have been waiting to pick up the Google Pixelbook for yourself, now is the time for action.  Right now at the Google Store, you can pick up the entry level Pixelbook powered by the Intel i5 processor for $749.  That is a savings of $150 and represents the lowest price ever for the premium Chromebook.  As you may recall, this entry level model comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

The discount only applies to the entry level Pixelbook and not the i5 with 256GB of storage or the i7 powered version at the Google Store.  To be fair though, having used that entry level model for almost all of 2018, it is more than powerful enough to do anything you would want or need from it.  If you haven’t read my review, you can read it here.

As a general rule, for most Chromebook users, the default apps to open particular file types will do the job.  But sometimes you install an app, be it a Chrome OS web app or an Android app, and it takes over the behavior and becomes the default app for that file type.  Sometimes that’s good, sometimes that’s not so good.

Fortunately changing the default app to a new app for a file type is pretty easy in Chrome OS.  The trick is finding it because it is not in Settings like you would find in your Android phone.  In this How To, I’ll show you where you need to go in the Files app on your Chromebook to change the default apps.

Today’s Deal is a great opportunity to pick up the Goggle Pixelbook along with the Pixelbook Pen.  Right now at Amazon, you can pick up the combination of the two for $987.  That is less than what the Pixelbook along normally costs.  This is the lowest price for the combination that I’ve seen for the premium Chromebook since its release.

The price is for the Intel i5 powered unit with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.  It is certainly powerful enough to do anything you would need, be it in Chrome OS or Android apps running on the device.