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Reimagining Desktop Mode : ChromeOS as the Future of Android Desktop Experience

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We are living in a time of rapid paradigm shifts, specifically as to how people define a personal computer. Over the past decade, there has been a radical shift in the market, with more people relying on their mobile phone as their primary computer and a growing segment of the consumer market is even forgoing the purchase of a dedicated laptop or desktop altogether. Mobile Phone manufacturers have responded by exponentially increasing the power of their devices to keep up with the demand and hardware that was previously limited to mobile devices has started to make its way to modern laptops and desktops. 

Several Android Device Manufacturers including Samsung, Motorola, ASUS, Huawei and even Google have all worked on implementing a Desktop Mode that allows you to transform your phone into desktop PC when connected to a external display. The problem is that every manufacturer has descided to do their own thing and interpret what they believe users want in a desktop mode. Unfortunately this "Wild West" approach has ensured that there will be compatibility issues with third-party applications and will ultimately prevent the widespread adpotion of using a phone as a desktop computer. 

There is, however, a solution - ChromeOS...

Controversial Opinion : Android on ChromeOS is not as important as it used to be

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In 2016, Google made an announcement that ChromeOS will be getting the ability to run Android applications; furthermore, Google also announced that they will be bringing the Google Play Store to all future ChromeOS devices. This announcement was pivotal to ChromeOS as it finally brought some features we take for granted in 2024, such as a massive library of offline applications, games, VPNs and streaming media, to ChromeOS for the first time. For the longest time, I personally loaded my Chromebooks with as many Android Applications as I could; however, that time has long past. Lately, I find myself using a shrinking list of Android Applications on a regular basis, and with a few exceptions, I no longer see much of a need for Android on ChromeOS anymore. 

The Shortcomings of ChromeOS in 2023

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Every few years, I try to take some time to write an article about the shortcomings of ChromeOS and offer advice to the developers on the ChromiumOS team to consider when implementing new features on ChromeOS. Admittedly, I fully intended this to be a yearly publication; however, I do tend to fall victim to procrastination. This article is not intended to demonstrate that ChromeOS is somehow a sub-par operating system that people should not use; it's quite the opposite, as I feel that if the ChromiumOS team were to adopt these features, it could compel more users to adopt ChromeOS as their primary operating system. 

Opinion - ChromeOS Cannot Succeed Unless It Embraces OEM Customizations

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It should come as no surprise to anyone who frequents this website that I am a huge fan of ChromeOS. This blog post will likely ruffle some feathers in the ChromeOS world, but I really feel that ChromeOS, while a significant innovation in the tech industry, seems to have hit a plateau, particularly in its hardware development. Many computer manufacturers treat ChromeOS as an afterthought, often relegating it to budget devices and reserving their flagship hardware for Windows. This approach has led to a stagnation in the ChromeOS hardware landscape, limiting its potential reach and appeal. A solution to this stagnation could lie in allowing greater freedom for hardware manufacturers to introduce customizations and exclusive features, driving competition and offering consumers more choices.

Warning : Be careful when purchasing a ChromeOS device during a Black Friday Sale

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Black Friday sales are notorious for offering incredible deals on various tech products, including Chromebooks. While these deals may seem tempting, it's crucial to exercise caution when purchasing a ChromeOS device during this time. Many of these devices may have been sitting on the shelves for several years, potentially falling outside the window where Google provides OTA (Over-The-Air)/Auto-Update Expiration (AUE) updates.

Why I am Quickly Losing Trust and Faith in Google

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As a long-time Google fan, it pains me to say this, but I am starting to lose trust in some of Google's product decisions. I want to be clear - I still love Android, ChromeOS, Chrome, and many other Google offerings. Google takes user privacy and security very seriously. However, over the years, Google has developed a pattern of releasing several innovative products that showed a remarkable amount of potential, ultimately getting me hooked as a loyal user, and then eventually killing them off.

Google Extends ChromeOS Device Automatic Updates to 10 Years!

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We've all heard the criticism and seen countless photos from schoool administrators showing piles of chromebooks collecting dust - Chromebooks only get a few years of software updates before they are abandoned and sent to a e-waste landfill or sold off for scrap. It looks like Google is finally looking to change that perception with a major announcement that will see Chrome OS devices supported for over a decade.

I Wrote a Book… and then I wrote a few hundred more – The Ultimate Chrome OS Guides

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This website has been a resource for ChromeOS related news, tips and tricks for the past several years with several of my articles/tutorials being referenced to by dozens of popular websites over the years. Readers may have noticed the lack of content on my website over the past 18 months and might have assumed I have decided to stop writing about ChromeOS, the truth is actually completely opposite. I have actually been dedicating much of my spare time writing a series of books for ChromeOS users. This book started as one single book but … well … is now over 180 unique books and counting. You can even buy them now on Google Play and Amazon!

ChromiumOS for GPD Pocket 1 and 2 R89-13613 Released – Major Update

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Attention all ChromiumOS for GPD Pocket Users. There is a new update that is currently rolling out. This update has been in the works for a few months and brings countless new features to GPD Pocket Owners. This new build not only adds several new features but i put a lot of work into ensuring the GPD Pocket 1 features are on par with the GPD Pocket 2. The previous build of ChromiumOS for GPD sadly did not perform the best for GPD Pocket 1 users, my GPD Pocket 1 needed a replacement battery which did not allow me to test. I have been running this build on my personal devices for a few days and am very happy with the stability and performance of this new build.

Responding to Jays Tech Vault – These Chromebook Ads Are Horrendously Misleading

K

I watch a lot of tech YouTubers for education and entertainment and the quality of the content is normally far above other genres of videos. I have been watching a up-and-coming YouTuber for a while, Jays Tech Vault and love his videos of him putting knockoffs from wish.com to the test and his videos are well produced and entertaining. Jay published a new video targeting Chromebooks and while I agree with many of his talking points, I do have some disagreements with several other talking points. Normally I would respond in a YouTube Comment however there is so much I want to say so I figured I would post them here. This is not to bash Jay or his videos and I strongly encourage everyone subscribe and support smaller creates like him.