Tag: Chrome OS

At the Google event this morning, the all new Google Pixelbook was announced.  The premium Chromebook experience is the first Made By Google Chromebook since 2015 and the specs are pretty amazing.

The new Pixelbook is equipped with an Intel i5 processor or i7 processor and 8GB or 16GB of RAM and has three different storage options:  128GB, 256GB and 512GB.  The display is a 12.3″ with 2400 x 1600 resolution.  That gives it a 3:2 ratio which is what was on previous generations of Pixel Chromebooks.

The new Pixelbook is a 2-in-1 design with the tablet portion folding back behind the keyboard to give it a tablet only feel.  Like other similarly designed Chromebooks, the keyboard becomes inactive when you are in this mode to prevent erroneous key presses.

Pricing will put the new Google Pixelbook in the premium category for sure.  The 128GB with 8GB of RAM model will be $999, the 256GB model is $1399 and the 512GB model is a wallet shattering $1749.

Whether it was intentional or not, Google has all-but confirmed that Google Assistant will be coming to Chrome OS in the near future.  In the latest update for Google Home for Android, the Chat with Google Assistant section of the app (in the Explore portion of the app) clearly indicates Chromebooks as an option for Assistant.  You can see a screenshot of it after the break.

Seeing this is not entirely unexpected.  Google has been rumored to be bringing their AI driving Assistant to Chrome OS and with the Pixel event later this week, where the Pixel Book is expected to be announced as a premium Chromebook offering.  Other teardowns of Chrome OS and the Google Home app have also pointed to code that suggests Google Assistant is going to coming to Chrome OS.  In other words, there is a 99% chance this is accurate.

Google Cloud Print is a handy feature that can be found in Android and Chrome OS that allows you to quickly and easily print to printers that are configured and enabled to leverage the cloud-based printing solution.  The vast majority of printers on the market today will work with Cloud Print but, if you haven’t invited users to use your printers at home or in your small office, they won’t see them as a printing option.

This seems to be the most common problem I find for users who are trying to get a printer configured to work with their Chromebook or phone.

This tutorial is aimed at those who have Android, Chrome OS and a compatible Google Cloud Print printer at their home or small office.  Most enterprise Android & Chrome OS users will not have to worry about this as printers are managed through your G Suite administrator.

Behold Chrome OS fans:  The new Google Pixelbook.  The rumors have been floating for months now that Google would be releasing an updated version of their Chromebook Pixel lineup and it looks like it is going to happen at the October 4th event.  Droidlife, kings of the leaks today, has gathered a lot of information on this new Chromebook and if nothing else, it looks pretty sweet.

The Google Pixelbook will come in three variants:  128GB, 256 or 512GB of storage and will start at $1199 for the 128GB model.  The 256GB model will be $1399 and the 512GB model will be an eye-watering $1749.  For a Chromebook.  Yep, it is going to be spendy.  The Pixelbook will be a 2-in-1 design with a touchscreen and, of course, will support Android apps out of the box.  As for the processor configuration, that’s not known yet but you can bet it will be an Intel based chipset.

This morning, the Chrome team within Google has begun pushing out a minor update to Chrome OS for the majority of devices.  The new update is build 60.0.3112.114 (Platform version: 9592.94.0) for those keeping score at home.  It is coming to all devices except the Acer Chromebook 15 (CB3-532) and the Samsung Chromebook 3.

The update is predominantly made up of security fixes and bug fixes in the platform with a handful of feature enhancements too.  The release notes on this update were vague as to what was addressed or fixed, but that is common for Chrome OS releases that are small in nature and midstream from the main releases every 6 weeks or so.

Acer has announced today that a new Acer Chromebook 15 is coming in October.  The newest addition to their Chromebook lineup will come in two variants, a non-touchscreen and touchscreen, will have up to 12 hours of battery life, a Full HD display and now sports an all aluminum chassis.  It is a big step up from the current generation of Acer 15″ Chromebook.

The new Chromebook 15 will have 1920 x 1080 resolution 15.6″ IPS display and has MacBook Pro style upward facing speakers next to the keyboard.  It has USB-C connectivity for charging, a SD card slot that supports up to a 128GB card.