While the official Google changelog list of features in Chrome OS 72 Stable Channel has some welcome additions, there’s plenty more goodness included behind these scenes.
Author: Kevin Tofel
Kevin Tofel
After spending 15 years in IT at Fortune 100 companies, Kevin turned a hobby into a career and began covering mobile technology in 2003. He writes daily on the industry and has co-hosted the weekly MobileTechRoundup podcast since 2006. His writing has appeared in print (The New York Times, PC Magazine and PC World) and he has been featured on NBC News in Philadelphia.
Using an Android app to annotate PDFs on your Chromebook? You may not have to much longer: Google introduced a native PDF markup function in the latest Dev Channel of Chrome OS 73 that works with a stylus or a finger on a touchscreen.
When it comes to great displays paired with high-end performance, the Acer Chromebook Spin 13 is definitely a top-three contender. Normally priced at $899.99, you can nab this 2-in-1 convertible Chromebook for $699.99.
Aside from the Samsung Chromebook Plus v2, there aren’t any recent Chrome OS devices with integrated LTE. Based on code commits, these new devices running on Intel’s Whiskey Lake CPUs may include this connectivity option.
A small code change will lead to a largely desired function, particularly for enterprise users: VPN support for Linux apps in Crostini on a Chromebook. Yes, you can use an Android VPN app for Chrome OS, but that security won’t extend to Linux.
Until today, you officially needed a Google-branded Android phone and Chromebook to use the Instant Tethering feature for connectivity when you can’t find a Wi-Fi hotspot. Now, the feature is expanding to partner devices with more in the coming months.
A pair of new Acer Chromebase devices with up to an 8th-gen Intel Core i7 are arriving this summer. These are ideal for group video, kiosks or business workstations in the enterprise although I know more than a few consumers that want a Chrome OS desktop.
Of *course* there’s a Chromebook sale corresponding with Super Bowl 53. Because, why not? WIth a coupon code, you can get the 4K Lenovo Yoga Chromebook C630 for $90 off while the Patriots play the Rams.
Benchmark tests showing a device with internal similarities to the Pixel Slate surfaced this week. It looks like another Chrome tablet option but this time coming from Asus based on Chromium code approvals.
Gotta have the first 4K Chromebook? Now you can order one: The Lenovo Yoga Chromebook C630 with 3840 x 2160 touchscreen display is available directly from the company for $899.99.
Slated for Chrome OS 74 is a new function to export and import Crostini containers on Chromebooks, allowing you to backup or restore your Linux environment as needed — handy for folks relying heavily on Linux apps within the Chrome OS platform.