Google's Chrome OS may
be all about the Web, but the latest version of the search giant's operating
system adds a traditional desktop look to Chromebooks including features
familiar to any PC user. Instead of having one monolithic browser window with
an endless number of tabs, Chrome OS has a new window manager that lets you
open multiple windows at once. You can also snap a window to each side of the
screen to view two separate windows at once similar to the Aero Snap feature in
Windows 7. At the bottom of the screen, the new Chrome OS features a
Windows-style taskbar for pinning favorite apps, accessing a list of all your
apps, and a system status area off to the right. You can also change the
background image and customize the app launcher with the new Chrome OS look. Users
and developers got their first taste of Chrome OS' new desktop feel, codenamed Aura, in April through Google's
developer update channel. Aura is now rolling out on new Chromebooks such as
the recently launched Chromebook Series 5 550 (starting at $450) and Mac Mini-like
Chromebox ($330), both from Samsung. Chromebooks are apparently finding at
least a small user base with schools looking to distribute cheap PCs to
students, but Google's Web-centric laptops have not caught on with regular
users in any significant way. At first glance, Chrome OS makes a lot of sense
for almost anyone looking for a secondary PC.
The average person uses their
computer largely to get online and check e-mail, update Facebook, watch videos,
and create the odd document. Chrome OS can handle all of these tasks and Google
is promising more enhancements such as offline Google Docs editing in the
coming weeks. But dig a little deeper and you'll find that you can't access
full-powered photo and video editing tools, or store more than 16GB worth of
data on the device's puny SSD.
Yes, there are online alternatives, but many are
still not good enough to match up with their desktop equivalents. As Chromebook
Series 5 review, finding Chrome OS alternatives to powerful desktop apps can
often feel like a hunt for workarounds. Until Chrome OS can
solve that fundamental problem, Google may have a hard time winning over users.
Even with its new desktop feel.
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