14 DAY TRIAL // Google's recent stable channel update for Chromebooks brought more than the latest Google Chrome 13, some parts of Chrome OS were also updated and improved.
"One of the things that excites us about Chromebooks is that unlike other computers, the user experience automatically gets better over time," Google's Alberto Martin writes.
One thing that all Chromebook owners will notice is a faster resume time, Google says the devices are up an running 32 percent faster in some cases. There is also support for VPN and the secure WiFi 802.1x, useful on the enterprise front.
"For those of you who like watching movies and TV shows on your Chromebook, you now also have the option to do so using Netflix," he added.
"If you'd rather enjoy a good read, you’ll be able to fire up the Amazon’s new Kindle Cloud Reader app, read your favorite books and even take them offline when you’re not connected," he said.
Granted, new web apps are not exactly Chrome OS updates, but they do make Chromebooks more appealing. The two apps Google refers to are a great example of the new things you can do with a Chromebook once web apps become more common.
Speaking of web apps, there is now a Citrix Receiver Tech Preview web app in the Chrome Web Store. The app, one of Chrome OS's touting points for the enterprise market, enables you to use powerful desktop applications in the browser.
One of the easiest points to make against the web-only Chrome OS says that you can't run Photoshop in a browser. Well, now you can, as Google aptly demonstrates with the latest Photoshop CS5 running inside a Chrome tab.
Another small feature that fits in wonderfully with Chromebooks, is the Print to Docs option now available in Google Cloud Print. This way, you can 'print' anything online directly to a Docs document rather than a piece of paper.