Did that computer systems have synthetic intelligence now? You didn’t? How’s that? We’ve been subjected to an absolute avalanche of selling touting AI from seemingly each tech firm, from Microsoft and Nvidia to laptop makers and even thermal paste sellers. Well should you’ve someway averted the AI blitz, presumably through the use of a Chromebook, you’re about to get it in spades from Google.
The firm has been pushing its Gemini (nee Bard) AI instruments into most of its high-profile merchandise, most notably Chrome and Android. Now Chromebook Plus, Google’s increased tier of ChromeOS laptops revealed final 12 months, are slated to be Google’s flagship platform for the very best and brightest of Gemini, with a number of instruments and choices that aren’t obtainable elsewhere.
With all this coming only a week after Microsoft’s big push for Copilot+ hardware, its personal model of units that may entry its cutting-edge generative AI instruments, it’s exhausting to see this as something however Google and Microsoft squaring up for a superb old school tech race. (That’s not even mentioning Google’s all-AI, all-the-time I/O presentation.) While there’s a number of crossover between Copilot and Gemini, Google is highlighting that its instruments shall be obtainable at a far decrease entry worth — simply $350 for the most affordable Chromebooks that meet the Plus designation, and include a 12 months of premium AI options at no cost.
What options? Let’s break it down. These instruments are unfold out inside the Chromebook Plus interface, or obtainable as extra of a typical chat immediate by clicking the Gemini button on the duty bar.
‘Help me write’ textual content technology
This will certainly be the massive draw should you’re satisfied of AI’s energy to avoid wasting you time on office-style work. Gemini’s text-based prompts aren’t doing something that we haven’t seen earlier than with Copilot and related methods, nevertheless it is surprisingly quick, and obtainable nearly all over the place that the Chrome browser is, plus the entire barely skinned net apps in ChromeOS. Users can provide direct prompts for textual content technology, modify current textual content (like “make this headline shorter”), or select from a fast record of auto-generated solutions.
Trying this out in particular person was spectacular when it comes to pace, however had the same old hiccups that generative AI customers may be accustomed to at this level. Getting Gemini to provide me a PowerPoint (or Google Slides) presentation on a selected matter was simple, however I nonetheless wanted to undergo it, contact issues up, and lower out some irrelevant data. It definitely saved a number of time, if to not the magical diploma that Google’s presentation promised.
Magic Editor for Google Photos
Owners of Google’s Pixel telephones have had entry to a few of these superior photograph modifying instruments for a while now, and so they’re coming to Chromebook Plus house owners now. These are notably spectacular when you convey them to an even bigger display screen, with the flexibility to maneuver, resize, and in any other case gently alter objects (together with folks) and robotically alter the remainder of the picture to match.
As somebody who’s been a Photoshop jockey for many years, the system’s means to shortly choose related objects and precisely fill in backgrounds was spectacular. Even although I can do that stuff myself, the Magic Editor does it 10 instances quicker and with none instantly apparent artifacts. Since I take advantage of Windows for my work machine, I’m genuinely jealous that this gained’t be obtainable outdoors of Chromebook Plus units.
AI-generated wallpaper and video name backgrounds
These are some attention-grabbing choices, however by far the least helpful of Google’s demonstrations. The Chromebook interface will enable Plus customers to enter prompts for AI-generated wallpaper at no cost. This looks like one thing that’s executed so occasionally that it’s sort of an afterthought for Google’s big-iron AI methods, however what the hey, everyone desires cool-looking wallpaper.
The video backgrounds are maybe extra related to on a regular basis use. The similar system will allow you to generate backgrounds that may seem behind you in video conferencing, no greenscreen required. The technology is the brand new factor right here — just about each video chat system provides you with the choice to set a customized background. But Google representatives did say that this device is platform-agnostic — it’ll work superb on browser-based Zoom or Teams operating in ChromeOS, in addition to Google Meet.
2TB of cloud storage and Gemini Advanced for a 12 months
Android telephones and Chromebooks have usually include freebies from Google — a present promotion provides you with 100GB of Google One storage and three months of YouTube Premium for any Chromebook buy, for instance. If you purchase a Chromebook Plus mannequin beginning right this moment, you get 12 months of free entry to the Google One AI tier, which incorporates use of Gemini Advanced and 2TB of Google Drive distant storage. After a 12 months it’ll price $19.99.
Gemini Advanced consists of the extra normal “Help me write” device above, obtainable within the Chrome browser on any platform. Other, extra particular instruments, just like the Magic Editor and the AI wallpapers, are solely obtainable on Chromebook Plus {hardware}.
Other new options coming to Chromebooks
In addition to the AI-centric bulletins, Google confirmed off new stuff coming to all present Chromebooks with free software program updates.
GIF recording
ChromeOS is getting a built-in display screen recorder that may output in GIF format. My fellow tech writers ought to recognize this.
Game Dashboard and touchscreen management remapping
ChromeOS is getting an Xbox Game Bar-style interface for taking part in over video games, be they web-based, native (together with Android video games downloaded from the Play Store), and streaming (RIP, Stadia). More notably, the system features a device to map out touchscreen controls to the mouse and keyboard, making phone-only and controller-only video games playable on a laptop computer.
Michael Crider/Foundry
Michael Crider/Foundry
Michael Crider/Foundry
It’s nothing we haven’t seen earlier than with third-party instruments, however appreciated nonetheless. Even if you have already got a touchscreen in your Chromebook, this ought to be a welcome addition for players.
Google Tasks integration within the taskbar
Click on the taskbar’s clock to convey up a mini-calendar, which now features a fast view of Google Tasks for the logged-in account. Very good, however I really feel burned as a Google Keep fan. The graveyard beckons…
Faster Chromebook setup for Android customers
If you purchase a brand new Chromebook and you’ve got an Android-powered cellphone helpful, you may scan a QR code on the previous to sync all of your related Google knowledge throughout, together with Wi-Fi networks and passwords.
Even extra stuff coming to Chromebooks quickly
Google additionally demonstrated a bunch of latest instruments it hopes to convey to Chromebook customers someday later this 12 months. The most dramatic was in all probability the flexibility to mix voice-to-text typing with “AI-powered” facial scanning, which permits a consumer to manage an enormous quantity of the interface with out utilizing their arms. For instance, the consumer dictates an e-mail message, then strikes their head a bit to information the cursor all the way down to the “Send” button, and quirks their mouth to the left to click on it.
It’s undoubtedly a bit awkward, and I believe it’s making an attempt to work round together with costly accessibility tech (like devoted eye monitoring sensors) into low-cost Chromebooks. But the stay demo, awkward because it was, appeared to have a number of promise. We’ll see if this makes it to a launch candidate, or slowly disappears into the information background, as these options typically do.
In addition to “Help me write,” Google is engaged on Gemini-powered “Help me read.” This is mainly the identical as ChatGPT’s auto-generated summaries, however for a selected web site or doc you’re . Helpful in a kind of auto-speed-read sort of means, however this one can also be going to be restricted to Chromebook Plus fashions, not less than at the beginning.
Google is engaged on a system that may aid you decide up from the place you left off robotically while you log right into a Chromebook. It’s sort of like a browser remembering all of the tabs you had open while you closed it, nevertheless it’ll embrace a number of apps and recordsdata, together with cross-device compatibility the place attainable. An instance of studying an extended article on iOS and choosing it up in your Chromebook. It’s nothing you couldn’t do already with varied apps and instruments, simply hopefully a bit extra seamless.
New Chromebook fashions (kind of)
Google’s presentation and demo space had a handful of current and new Chromebooks. These are all fairly fundamental machines, as Chromebooks are typically, and gentle refreshes of current {hardware}. Notably, the most affordable Chromebook with all these Plus extras is now $349.99, down from $399.99 late final 12 months.
Chromebook Plus units require not less than a Core i3 12th-gen/Ryzen 3 7000 CPU or higher, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, a full HD IPS display screen, and a 1080p webcam. There are seven new Plus fashions being introduced right this moment from Acer, Asus, and HP. But once more, there’s nothing mind-blowing right here — all of them appear to be gentle chassis refreshes and CPU bumps.
Michael Crider/Foundry
Michael Crider/Foundry
Michael Crider/Foundry
The most attention-grabbing mannequin continues to be Acer’s “Gaming Chromebook,” the 516 GE, which PCWorld reviewed last month. Just remember the fact that, as a result of ChromeOS’s web-focused construction, you may actually solely profit from its gaming keyboard and high-refresh display screen when you have entry to some severe cloud-based video games, a la GeForce Now or Xbox Game Pass. We’ve seen others on this record earlier than too, together with the Asus Plus CX34 and the Acer Spin 714.
Michael Crider/Foundry
Michael Crider/Foundry
Michael Crider/Foundry
I additionally tried out the Asus Chromebook CM30, a MediaTek-based pill with a Surface-style keyboard and kickstand. Notably, that is not a Chromebook Plus machine…and it exhibits. The factor chugged whilst a demo. Chromebooks can typically get away with far much less RAM than a Windows laptop computer. But I believe ChromeOS has gotten so resource-intensive that this 10-inch pill’s battery-sipping Arm processor and eMMC storage had been overwhelmed.