Chrome OS Weekly Season 2 EP 1: The Chromebook Repair Program, Google Workspace, Stadia Savepoint

Chrome OS Weekly Season 2 EP 1: The Chromebook Repair Program, Google Workspace, Stadia Savepoint

Chromebook Repair Program

Ever since our first installation of our device catalog, one of the things we thought was sorely missing was a way to determine the repairability of devices. This has always been on my mind as an addition to our database and eventually, our groups area (when it becomes ready/active).

And as it so happens, one of the more important updates on this week in the Chrome sphere is a noteworthy Chromebook repair program that will usher in the much needed characteristic that was sorely lacking in terms of the differentiating factors that may increase the repairability of a Chromebook or otherwise.

According to Google, “Chrome OS devices made by our manufacturing partners consume up to 46% less energy than comparable devices and are designed with sustainability in mind.”

Device repair category

This statement certainly earns credence considering the domination of ARM-based chipsets in the Chrome device landscape. Certainly, most Chromebooks are theoretically underpowered but in practice, run as smooth as butter. This is, of course, mostly due to the browser-centric nature of the operating system. Therefore in comparison to the competition, Chrome OS certainly enjoys massive benefits as a result thereby negating the need for all that extra power for the majority of folks.

Added to that, there was also the recent announcement of adaptive charging that should drastically improve your already great Chromebook battery as well. We’ll do our best to reflect these changes in a way that makes sense to you over time in our database.

Google Workspace Essentials Starter

It’s almost impossible to beat Google at the game of adapting and my reason for this statement is one word, Docs … it’s easy to quickly forget how Google brought online office to the mainstream and almost always associated with the general definition of what it means to “Office” online …although “local office” (ala Microsoft Office’s Suite) is often preferred, however, there’s a lot to be said for the astounding effort Google has put into its Google Docs platform.

Starting with the omission, Gmail isn’t a part of this free bundle. You’ll have to utilize a third party email service to facilitate that need or upgrade your Worksuite package.

Among the host of features present in the Workspace essentials are the ability to have a more enhanced work environment that seamlessly bridges the gap across all the services that a small business utilizes regularly.

Of course, Google has a competitor primarily in the form of Microsoft 365 which is the online version of the popular Microsoft Office Suite and is without a doubt hoping to nab some of that sweet market pie.

Get Your Workspace Essentials Starter

Signing up requires your work email address and that’s about it. From there, you can start integrating your team members into your new Workspace.

Of course, the Workspace Essentials Starter package is not limited to Google Docs, but rather is bundled with the rest of the G Suite including: Slides, Sheets, Chat, Drive, and Meet.

A generous 15GB storage is thrown into the mix as well with a host of features you can learn more about here!

Stadia Savepoint

The team here at ItsChromeOS is steadily gearing up to a “Stadia Mood”. We’re inclined to be more active in our groups section as time goes on with Stadia gameplays and commentary in tow.

Meanwhile, we’re pretty much excited about the steady updates coming on the Stadia platform and according to the January update, there’s now a total of 50 Stadia Pro games up for grabs.