Tag archive: Chrome OS

It’s been roughly a year since Google’s Chromebooks (then known as the CR-48) first surfaced. Google’s “nothing but the Web” netbooks have laid fairly low, making a big initial splash and then playing second fiddle to a variety of other Google releases this year (the Google Wallet and Google+ specifically coming to mind). Those who are fans of the Chromebooks loyally defend their user-friendliness and accessibility. But there are plenty of… Read More

According to Microsoft, half of all Android devices are now under its patent protection. Yesterday, the Redmond software maker revealed it has signed a deal with Compal Electronics giving the company “broad coverage under Microsoft's patent portfolio” for tablets, phones, e-readers and anything else running Google's Android or Chrome operating systems. Under the new deal, Microsoft will receive royalties from Compal,… Read More

The Android browser has always been serviceable, and better than most other smartphone browsers, but with Android expanding into tablets and new kinds of devices, it's limitations have been shining through. The browser isn't great at running Flash and often gets caught opening the wrong version of a Website. If you're on a 10-inch tablet, you don't want to view a mobile Website designed for a feature phone. But these… Read More

Mozilla, maker of the popular Firefox browser, is developing a mobile operating system that will take the web-based functionality of Google's Chrome operating system and combine it with the smartphone- and tablet-centric functionality of software like Android or iOS. The experimental software project is called Boot to Gecko (B2G), and has a specific focus on expanding the use of HTML 5-based applications. “Mozilla believes that… Read More

Technology giant Microsoft has inked a patent licensing agreement with gear-maker Wistron that gives the company “broad coverage” for devices the company may make using Google's Android operating system—the idea being that if Microsoft ever goes after Google for patent infringement in Android, Wistron will be safe. The deal follows a pattern Microsoft has set down with other equipment makers, including Velocity Micro,… Read More

Google’s Chromebooks are here and making quite the impression – for better or for worse. Reviews have been varied, and we personally found the Samsung Series 5 to be lacking, but regardless of any negative feedback, Chromebooks are getting some attention and Google is reportedly pleased with their launch. “We've been very pleased with the response to the Chromebooks subscription model since we launched,” a Google spokesperson… Read More

Google is getting a little legal turbulence before its Chromebook laptops even launch. The California based search giant is being sued by Salt Lake City-based ISYS Technologies over trademark infringement. ISYS claims it has the rights to “Chromium” and apparently all chromium derived names; Chromebook happens to be too similar. ISYS Technologoies is pushing a Utah district court to stop Google and its various partners, including Amazon.com,… Read More

The recently-announced Chromebooks are going to take a little getting used to: A notebook entirely dependent on the cloud doesn’t exactly reek of permanence. If you’re on board with at least some elements, then Xi3’s new ChromiumPC modular computer (also known as the 5 Series) might be enough to at least pique your interest. The company announced the product May 20 – the world’s first desktop to run Google Chrome – and may be paving the way for… Read More

It is funny how often it generally takes for a new idea to stick in the market. We first started messing around with tablets in the early 90s. Now, nearly 20 years later, only one vendor has made a successful one: the Apple iPad. Google’s new Chromebooks are essentially thin clients — lightweight computers dependent on servers (the cloud in this case) which have terminals as their distant ancestors. Sun and Oracle tried to bring the thin… Read More

Google officially confirmed the June 15 launch of Chrome OS-powered Chromebooks from Acer and Samsung yesterday. It turns out that the previously rumored student package, which was said to put Chrome OS-powered notebooks into the hands of students for a $20 monthly fee, is a much more full-featured program than the original reports suggested. There will be a business subscription component as well, though a number of questions about the fine… Read More

Google kicked off day two of Google I/O 2011 by spotlighting some of the new things it's doing with Chrome OS. Sundar Pichai, head of Chrome, keynoted the event, and unveiled the first two Chromebooks, which is Google's new word to describe laptops that are running Chrome OS. Google is giving out free Chromebooks to all I/O attendees, but for those of you who couldn't make the flight, we've detailed the new features shown… Read More

Back in December, we got a glimpse of Google's Cr-48 notebook, powered by the company's nothing-but-Internet Chrome OS. It wasn't widely released, but the notebook made its way into the hands of enough knowledgeable people to psych people up for Google's entry into the hardware space. Now there's word that the company will today be announcing a “student package” plan, offering a Chrome laptop —… Read More

It was recently reported that Google’s Chrome OS netbook, the Cr-48, is out of beta testing and that it could be available this summer. The device may come with a subscription policy attached to a Google account and even a rental plan, but the most important detail has been left out: Who’s making the first one? Earlier this year we heard that Acer was a possibility, as was Samsung. Now rumor has as leaning toward the latter, as a Chrome bug… Read More

A new batch or rumors suggests Sony plans to take Apple head-on with an ultra-thin MacBook Air competitor, according to a report by Sony Insider. In addition, sources say Sony has a laptop based on Google's Chrome OS in the works. The first device, said to go by the name “VAIO Hybrid PC,” will purportedly come loaded with the super-quick Sandy Bridge Core i7 processor, SSD storage, and HDMI output with 3D support. The battery… Read More