Chromebook turns 10 years old

Over a decade ago, when rumors popped up about a computer operating system from Google it was kinda hard to envision how successful ChromeOS would become. But in today's always-online world, the operating system you use doesn't really matter anymore for a wide variety of use cases.

The Chrome OS is now ten years old and Chromebooks are selling like hotcakes. Driven by the stay-at-home economy and remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, research firm Canalys estimates 30.7 million Chromebook shipped in 2020. That's 109 percent more than the year before.

Demand was especially high in the final quarter of 2020, with 11.2 million Chromebooks shipped, a meteoric rise versus the 2.9 million sold in Q4 2019. Chromebooks are typically cheap machines, which makes them good options for students and for folks who don't need to do more than tasks that run in a web browser.

Chrome OS gets a bunch of new features

In a new blog post, Google previews some of the new features that are in the works for Chrome OS. The search giant is developing a Phone Hub, which will allow you to perorm key Android phone capabilities on your Chromebook. For example, you will be able to check your battery life level and cellular signal, locate your phone, view the last Chrome browser sessions, and reply to text messages.

The Quick Settings menu of Chrome OS is getting an overhaul too. Google is working on a Screen Capture tool and media controls for Quick Settings. Furthermore, Chrome OS will get some Clipboard optimizations and a new Quick Answers feature, which will automatically provide extra information when you right-click a word. Depending on the context, this can be a dictionary definition a translation, or a unit conversion.

Overall, the future of Chromebook looks bright. Analysts predict Chrome OS still has a lot of room to grow, especially in emerging countries.

Acer expects big Chromebook growth in H1 2021

Acer for example expects Chromebooks will be flying off the shelves throughout the first half of the year. DigiTimes Research writes Chromebook sales are expected to grow another 15-18 percent this year. Orders from the educational segment are described as very strong, but brand vendors have difficulty meeting demand due to component shortages.

Sources from the supply chain pointed out that orders for Chromebooks are showing no sign of weakening at the moment as demand from the global education sector remains robust. -- DigiTimes