Category: Chrome OS

Earlier today I posted Today’s Deal on the Asus C201 Chromebook over at Amazon.  That post generated a couple of comments and questions around just which Chromebooks are going to see the Chrome 53 update that will bring Android apps to them.  For the record, the C201 is one of the Chromebooks that will be able to run Android apps when it is released later this year.  But what about the others?  Fortunately the Chromium team at Google have put together a comprehensive list.

To be clear, this list was originally posted by the Chromium team back in May and there have been some additions of newer Chromebooks that have hit the market.  It is likely that most new Chromebooks that meet the minimum specifications will be added to this list so bookmark this link for the most up-to-date list.  After the break I’ve posted the most recent update to the list from the Chromium team.  It’s searchable so just Ctrl+F to find your Chromebook in the list.

The Chromium team has released a sizable update to Chrome OS this morning, bringing with it several enhancements and improvements to the platform.  The updated build is version 52.0.2743.85 (Platform version: 8350.60.0) for those keeping score at home and it is available for all devices running the Operating System.  The update is already rolling out (I have received it on my HP Chromebook 11 G4 already) and you can check for it by going to Settings>About Chrome OS>Check for Update.

Chrome OS users, there is a new Stable Channel build of the OS available to the majority of devices.  The update is already rolling out to devices so you should see the update soon or you can do a manual check for it.  The updated build is version 51.0.2704.106 (Platform version: 8172.62.0) for those keeping score at home and it is available on a vast majority of devices.  However, if you have a Lenovo ThinkPad 11e Chromebook or a Samsung Chromebook Series 5 device, the update is not available for you.  Having specific devices listed as not receiving the update is nothing new.  Google and the Chrome OS team often call out a specific device or two that won’t see the update immediately.  Often these updates come later to these devices.

Google has rolled out a behind-the-scenes update that enabled comment notifications in Chrome and on Android for Google Docs, Google Sheets and Google Slides.  Previously, when someone made a comment on a shared file, you would receive an email notification that the comment had been made on the document.  Now you will get a standard notification on your Android devices or in Chrome when these comments have been made on the file.

HP, like many other traditional PC manufactures, is getting serious about Chrome OS.  The company has announced the new Chromebook 11 G5, an 11.6″ Chromebook that will start at just $189 when it is released to partners this month and retailers in October.  The new Chromebook 11 will be available with an optional touch screen display which, given that upcoming release of Android apps on Chrome OS, is something those of you in the market for a Chromebook should seriously consider.  It will be powered by the Intel Celeron N3060 and likely will have configurable memory and storage options once it does hit the HP store.  Equally, it was have an impressive 12.5 hours of battery life.

Chrome OS users on the Stable channel have a new platform update out today.  The updated build, version 51.0.2704.103 (Platform version: 8172.56.0/8172.57.0) for those keeping score at home, is primarily a security and bug fix release so don’t look for a lot of new features.  No, in case you are curious, this is not the build that brings Android apps to the platform on some devices.  That’s the Developer channel.