Google Dresses Up Chrome OS with New Hardware

Michael Garrity — Thu, 31 May 2012 02:00:00 GMT

Google appears to be giving another big push to the Chrome operating system, known mostly for powering its Chromebook venture.

Google and Samsung showed off a newly revamped Chromebook laptop and announced the Chromebox, a desktop computer that also runs on the Chrome OS.

The new Chromebook is a 12.1-inch Samsung Series 5 550, and comes with an improved webcam and track pad, as well as a video port that works with HDMI, DVI and VGA cables. Meanwhile, the Chromebox makes no bones about being somewhat stripped down when compared to other desktop computers (the $330 price-point should be a distinct giveaway), but it offers three display and six USB ports, making it rather useful as a device for media consumption.

Perhaps most notable are the changes to the Chrome OS software, which now offers a taskbar and window management. While the focus of the OS has always been on connecting users with the cloud, this most recent update (number 19) is working to improve offline file management.

In fact, Google Docs developers are currently working on a seamless offline mode that would make the OS more useful to everyday consumers. Plus, it can now handle more file types than ever.

'Net Features : chromebox

Google Dresses Up Chrome OS with New Hardware