Google is working on adding the ability to run some Android apps on Chrome OS laptop and desktop computers. But that doesn’t mean that you’ll be able to run every Android app in the Play Store on a Chromebook… at least not initially. During this week’s Google IO developer conference, Google demonstrated a few apps […]
Tag: chromebooks
Lilbits (6-02-2014): The Motorola XOOM 3 that never was
Motorola was the first company to work with Google to release a tablet running Android 3.0 Honeycomb — the first version of Google’s operating system designed specifically for tablets. That was more than three years ago, and the Android tablet space is very different today than it was then. There are hundreds of models from […]
HP’s launches next-gen Chromebook 11 for $249
HP is giving its 11.6 inch Chrome OS laptop a makeover and a price cut. The original HP Chromebook 11 launched in late 2013 for $280 and featured a Google-inspired (and assisted) design. Now HP is introducing a new model which looks like a miniature version of the larger HP Chromebook 14, and the company […]
Lilbits (4-2-2014): Reversible USB cables and MIPS-based wearables
ARM-based chips get a lot of love from makers of smartwatches and other wearable devices, and Intel is making its own play for the wearable space. But Imagination Technology doesn’t want you to forget about MIPS-based processors. The company points out that it’s already partnering with Google to support the upcoming Android Wear platform for wearables… […]
Buy a Chromebook, get 60 days of Google Play Music All Access
Google’s offering two months of free, on-demand music to customers who pick up select Chromebooks. From now through September 30th, 2014 if you pick up most Chromebook models, you get 60 days to try out Google Play Music All Access, Google’s online music streaming service. All Access subscriptions normally run about $10 per month and […]
Reports: PC sales decline by 10% but Chromebooks climb 112%
There’s good news and bad news for PC makers in the latest reports from research firms IDC, Gartner, and NPD. The bad news is that most reports suggest PC sales in 2013 were down about 10 percent from the previous year, with 4th quarter/holiday shipments down about 6 percent from 2013. The good news is that’s […]
Chromebooks climb up the notebook sales charts
It’s easy to dismiss Chromebooks with a simple statement: “There’s nothing you can do on a Chromebook that you couldn’t do with a Windows, Linux, or OS X laptop with the Chrome browser installed.” And that’s kind of true… but it also misses a few points. First, sometimes less is more — and Chromebooks are […]
Are Chromebooks finally finding their stride?
When Google introduces Chrome OS a few years ago, a lot of people wondered why they’d run an operating system based around a browser. Now a lot of people seem to be doing just that. Bloomberg spoke to researchers at NPD, IDC, and Gartner, and reports that analysts say up to a quarter of laptops […]
Lilbits (6-26-2013): Chromebooks with Haswell chips on the way?
When the first Chromebooks hit the market, they were powered by Intel Atom chips designed to keep prices relatively low, battery life relatively long, and performance relatively poor. OK, that last bit might have been the unintended consequence of going with Atom rather than a goal. But Google recently showed that Chromebooks don’t have to […]
Chromebooks will soon be sold in 6600 stores for $199 and up
Google has announced that Chromebooks will soon be available in 6,600 stores around the world. That’s about three times the number of stores that currently offer laptops running Google’s Chrome OS software. Up until now you’ve been able to buy the devices from Best Buy, Amazon, and the Google Play Store. But soon you’ll be […]
Is a Google-branded Chromebook with a touchscreen in the works?
Google already sells a line of smartphones and tablets through the Google Play Store. While technically these devices are made by Samsung, Asus, and LG, they’re sold under the Google name. According to the China Times, Google could be preparing to do the same thing with an upcoming Chromebook. Chromebooks are basically laptops that run […]
27 thousand students getting Chromebooks
Android isn’t Google’s only operating system. The company also offers Chrome OS — a simple operating system based on the Chrome web browser that’s designed to run on low-power laptops or desktops which Google calls Chrombooks or Chromeboxes. But you don’t hear much about Chrome OS these days, because Chromebooks haven’t had much commercial success. […]