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Chrome OS will let you reply to messages from notifications
You've had the option to reply to message notifications on Android for years, so why can't you do that on your shiny new Chromebook? You can soon. Google has started implementing support for in-line replies to messages from notifications. Much as on Android, you can respond to a message from a supporting app (Hangouts is one example) in the pop-up box rather than switching tasks entirely and losing your focus.
Google Pixelbook review: A premium Chromebook that's worth the price
When we reviewed Google's Chromebook Pixel in 2013, we said it was a gorgeous, well-built computer that almost no one should buy. That's also how we felt about the follow up in 2015. See, Chrome OS has been considered fine for a cheap second computer, but it was pretty much impossible to recommend anyone drop $999+ for the Pixel. Chrome OS was too limited, when a computer running Windows or macOS costs the same amount. Google's ambitious new Pixelbook suggests that won't be the case anymore. The laptop bears no resemblance to the original Pixel, but it's cut from similar cloth. It's still one of the nicest laptops you can find -- but it's also still running Chrome OS. But for a growing segment of the population, that might not be a problem. Google believes that as the many students who've used Chrome OS for years transition into adulthood, they'll be looking for high quality laptops that run the software they're familiar with. Moreover, Google says that premium laptops make up 20 percent of the market -- the Pixelbook is its latest attempt to get a piece of that pie.
Pixelbook hands-on: stunning hardware for Chrome OS aficionados
Google's Pixelbook is the first new laptop hardware the company has released since 2015's Chromebook Pixel 2. But that computer was only an iterative update on the original 2013 model. The Pixelbook is wildly different and reflects what we've come to expect from laptops over the last five years or so. And while the prospect of spending $1,000 or more on a Chromebook remains a stretch for just about everyone, my first impressions of the Pixelbook is that it's one of the nicest pieces of hardware I've tried in a long time.
Google’s Pixelbook is a 2-in-1 premium Chromebook
Google's Pixel laptop is back! Sort of. After retiring its older Pixel Chromebook this year, Google is jumping back into the premium notebook fray with the Pixelbook. (We'll leave it up to you to figure out how it came up with that name.) The big difference this time? It's a 2-in-1 machine, so it can be folded around and used like a tablet. The previous Pixels were just expensive and powerful touchscreen laptops. The Pixelbook is still pricey, though, starting at $999.
Google hints Assistant is nearly ready for Chromebooks
Google's October 4th event might include more for Chrome OS fans than the rumored Pixelbook. David Cannon and 9to5Google have spotted multiple app references to Google Assistant coming to Chromebooks. Google's Home app notes that some Assistant apps will work with Chromebooks, for instance, while the Chat with your Assistant app recently started listing compatibility with the Chrome machines alongside the usual gaggle of Android releases. There was code hinting at Assistant support in the past, but these public nods suggest that support is imminent.
HP's rugged Chromebook x360 convertible is available to all
If you saw HP's Chromebook x360 and yearned for the day when you didn't have to be a student to try it, you now have your chance. HP has made the 11-inch convertible Chrome OS machine available to everyone, with a starting price of $300 in the US for a system with a 1.1GHz Celeron, 4GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage. You can spring for 32GB of storage if you depend heavily on Android apps or don't quite store as much in the cloud as Google might like.
Google’s new Chromebook Pixel is reportedly called... the Pixelbook
Google seemingly put the nail in the coffin for its Pixel line of laptops back in February, but rumors surfaced last month that the company might revive the name for a new line of Chromebooks. Today, we have more rumors -- but these are backed by photos and extensive details on the new machines. According to Droid Life, the Pixelbook, as it's named, is a 2-in-1 that will start at $1,200.
Google might launch a reborn Chromebook Pixel and smaller Home
Do you still have a Chromebook Pixel-shaped hole in your heart months after Google pulled the plug? Good news -- Google might be bringing it back. A source speaking to Android Police claims that a "Pixel-branded Chromebook" will launch alongside the next Pixel phones at an event this fall. Details are scarce, including whether or not this is the fabled laptop that would run Andromeda, the long-rumored cross between Android and Chrome OS. That system was supposed to be a convertible PC with a tablet mode, a 12.3-inch display and an optional Wacom stylus, but there's no certainty that this design is the one that launches. We certainly wouldn't count on the originally planned $799 pricing.
Part shortages thwart the PC's sales recovery
So much for the PC industry bouncing back after years of decline. Analysts at Gartner and IDC estimate that computer shipments fell between 3.3 and 4.3 percent in the second quarter, resuming an otherwise unbroken slump. However, the drop wasn't due to the usual issues, like the rise of smartphones -- it was the knock-on effect of part shortages that killed dreams of a recovery. Component companies raised prices on parts like solid-state drives and LCDs to keep the supply-and-demand balance in check, and the resulting price hikes at some PC vendors led to people staying away.
Touch-friendly controls are coming to Chrome OS
Google's lightweight Chrome OS was never intended for touch, but that didn't stop the likes of Samsung and Acer creating touch-enabled Chromebooks. It probably helped that the OS was set to receive access to millions of Android apps. All that was left was to put those touch displays to good use. And, the updated launcher for Chrome Canary (the experimental iteration) is a sign of things to come.
MakerBot will connect Chromebooks to cloud-based 3D printers
Earlier this year, Makerbot announced in its most recent bloodletting that it would focus more on the education market. Today we're seeing some of the fruits of that decision. First up is "My MakerBot," what the outfit describes as a cloud-enabled browser-based printer monitoring platform that's compatible with Chromebooks (which are incredibly popular in the classroom) and Autodesk's Tinkercad 3D design software.
Lenovo's convertible Chromebook is built with Android apps in mind
Convertible Chromebooks are all the rage lately, but you wouldn't have known it by looking at Lenovo's offerings. It did release the Chrome-powered ThinkPad Yoga 11e, but that was aimed at schools. Now, however, Lenovo is building a 2-in-1 Chromebook aimed at the mainstream -- it just launched the Flex 11 Chromebook, a budget 11.6-inch hybrid designed to run Android apps. It can't actually use Android apps yet (Google Play support is "coming soon," Lenovo says), but its combination of a tablet mode with a quad-core, 2.1GHz ARM processor should make it well-suited to your favorite mobile titles. Just don't expect it to be speedy compared to Chromebooks using Celeron or Core chips.
Neverware's Chrome OS for old computers now includes Office 365
Neverware has made a name for itself with its CloudReady software, which essentially transforms any old PC or Mac into a Chromebook. But while that's a nice way to breathe new life into aging computers, it's naturally reliant on Google's online services. Now, the company is offering a new version of Cloud Ready for schools that integrates Microsoft's Office 365 online suite instead. It might seem blasphemous, but it could be useful for schools and other organizations that are already deeply integrated with Microsoft's software.
Google reveals HP's Chromebook for schools coming out in April
There's another Chromebook option for schools looking to equip their students with Google's laptops. Mountain View has revealed that HP will release a new rugged Chromebook for education in mid-April. It's a 360-degree convertible that features USB-C charging and a rear/world-facing camera, just like the Chromebooks Asus and Acer debuted in January. The computer also works with an optional stylus. However, it's unclear if it's the same low-cost stylus based on the the #2 pencil that comes with the Asus and the Acer machines -- Google didn't exactly go into details about the product's specs.
Google pulls the plug on its Pixel laptops
Although its new flagship phones have been doing brisk sales, Google's high-end, $1,299 Pixel-branded Chromebooks won't be seeing much love from the search giant in the near future. According to TechCrunch, reporting from the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona today, Google's SVP of hardware Rick Osterloh has announced the second version of the Pixel laptop will be the last of its kind.
Google makes its screen reader easier to use on Chromebooks
To improve the Chromebook experience for users with visual impairments, Google announced a new version of its ChromeVox tool this week. First, the screen reading feature is now the default option on all Chromebooks running Chrome OS 56 and newer. All you have to do to turn it on is hit Ctrl + Alt + Z.
Samsung and Google have work to do before the Chromebook Pro launches
Samsung's forthcoming Chromebook Pro, which the company introduced in partnership with Google at CES last month, appeared to be the latest contender in my search for the perfect premium Chromebook. For me, that means a high-resolution screen, excellent keyboard and trackpad, and a battery that lasts all day. I'm also looking for a well-designed machine, not the cheap, netbook-inspired computers that were the hallmark of earlier Chromebooks. On the surface, the Chromebook Pro offers all of that, along with a few new hardware and software tricks. It's the first Chromebook specifically designed with the Google Play Store and Android apps in mind. It's also the first Chrome OS device with a stylus, and Google added new features to its Keep note-taking app to make it work with a pen. Samsung and Google claim that the machine learning prediction should remove latency to the point that it feels like writing on the Surface Pro 4 -- one of the best stylus experiences available.
Google for Education intros two Chromebooks with stylus capability
Schools love Chromebooks, so Google for Education has launched two new models they can choose from: the Acer Chromebook Spin 11 and the Asus Chromebook C213. Both devices have touchscreen displays and come with a low-cost stylus that resembles #2 pencils kids can use to take notes. The stylus has an eraser just like a real pencil does, though its version obviously deals with digital mistakes. Plus, kids can easily share and replace it, since it doesn't need to be charged or paired. The feature sounds especially useful for science and math subjects that require students to write out formulas and equations. As Roger Nixon, Director of ICT at Wheatley Park School, Oxford said: "Stylus on Chromebooks will be a massive help for mathematics."
Adobe's Creative Cloud Android apps are coming to Chromebooks
There has been a lot of chatter over Chromebooks running Android apps in recent months and creative types are about to get a handful of new tools. Adobe announced today that as part of a beta for Chrome OS devices that launches this month, it will release a collection of six free Android Creative Cloud apps that are optimized for the machines. However, if you have one of the three Chromebooks that are already capable of running Android software, you can use these Adobe apps immediately.
Every Chromebook released in 2017 will support Android apps
You currently have to be picky about your choice of Chrome OS devices if you want to run Android apps, but you won't have to be quite so choosy going forward. Google has quietly mentioned that all Chromebooks arriving in 2017 or later will support Android software -- you won't have to spring for premium models just to run your favorite mobile apps. The news isn't surprising given Google's eagerness to push the feature (especially with talk of a hybrid Android/Chrome platform due this year), but it's a relief if you're in the market for a machine. It also makes Chrome OS a better competitor to conventional PC platforms, since you no longer have to wonder whether or not you'll have a large app ecosystem at your disposal.
