Tag: Chromebook

Earlier this week I posted an article on an update to Google Duo which brought the ability to register your Gmail account on multiple devices to use the video chat app.  It was a big win for the app and a feature that was sorely needed.

The next obvious question was if Duo could be installed on a Chromeboook that is capable of running Android apps?  It could prove to be a great win for Chrome OS and provide users the option to use the video chat app not just on a mobile but on their laptop too.  The answer is yes, but it is extremely limited right now.

Amazon has once again put the entry level Google Pixelbook on sale to kick off July.  Right now you can pick up the Intel i5 equipped Chromebook with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage for $830 at the online retailer.  That’s a savings of $169 off the regular price for the premier Chromebook on the market.

The sale at Amazon also extends to the middle and higher end models of the Pixelbook too.  For $1057 you can pick up the i5 equipped Pixelbook with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.  That is a savings of $142 off the regular price.  For the ultimate Pixelbook experience, you can pick up the Intel i7 model with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage for $1499.  That’s a savings of $150.

Over the weekend I posted about the special pricing running on the Google Pixelbook.  Now that special pricing has been extended on Amazon.  The online retailer now has the Pixelbook at the same $749 price you will find at the Google Store, B&H and other retailers.

The discounted price also applies to the Pixelbook with the Pixelbook Pen bundle too.  Right now that bundle is down to $831, which is $68 less than the best price on the Pixelbook only prior to this mark down from Google.

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.

As most readers will know, Chromebooks generally come with a small amount of built-in storage.  The assumption, of course, is that you will be leveraging Google Drive for the bulk of your storage needs as well as USB drives that you attached to your Chromebook.  Chrome OS makes these solutions easy to access all from within the Files app.

But how much storage do you have left in your Google Drive account or on that USB drive you’ve plugged in?  Fortunately it is very easy to find out this information right from within the Files app in Chrome OS.  In this How To, I’ll show you how to quickly see the storage available on any drive on your Chromebook.

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.