The lower-right corner shows the time, Internet connection status, battery status, and shows your Google account avatar to indicate who's logged in. When you install an app, it'll appear here. The desktop itself shows only your background by default, but a Tic-Tac-Toe-style icon on the Launcher reveals all your installed apps over the desktop background. There's an actual desktop that looks a bit cribbed from Windows 7, with Chrome-the-browser pinned to the far left of the Launcher, and other apps pinned right next to it. It looks and feels like a personal computer, finally, where before it was little more than a full-screen browser. Google has clearly spent some serious time developing the new interface. There's no doubt that the EULA is annoying, but we've never seen another new, unused operating system start so quickly. It took our avatar about 30 seconds to synchronize our existing account avatar from the cloud.Ĭhrome then takes anywhere from 30 to 60 seconds to synchronize your Google settings, if any, and then the computer is ready to be used.

Gone from previous versions is the mandated Webcam photo. Next, you can take a photo of yourself with the Webcam, use a provided icon, or use your current Google account avatar. This will only appear for the initial log-in it won't show up for subsequent uses and users. Incognito prevents guest users from leaving any traces of their session, as well as keeping them from making any changes to your apps and other settings.Īfter choosing your log-in method, you're asked to read through and accept the EULA. Guest mode in Chrome OS cleverly uses the Chrome browser's trackless browsing mode, called Incognito. You're not required to, and if you'd prefer, you can opt for the Guest mode. When you start up your system, it's recommended that you sign in using a Google account.

There is a simple setup procedure, however. Installation is not an issue for the Chrome OS since it comes preinstalled. Please note that because of the similarities between the Chrome-the-browser and the Chrome OS, parts of the Chrome review have been reproduced here where applicable.

If you like coding and developing, this is likely going to be your best bet for exploring what makes Chrome OS tick. Like Chrome the browser, Chrome-the-OS has a freely available open-source sibling, called Chromium OS. On the other hand, if you love Chrome, then Chrome OS is a big heaping helping of Chrome with some extra Chrome on the side and more Chrome for dessert. Updates made since then have given Chrome OS users better file format support, faster navigation, revised menus, dramatically improved offline abilities, and a traditional-looking desktop.īut if you loathe the Chrome browser, it's still highly unlikely that you'll enjoy this operating system. Google's operating system started off in December 2010 as being little more than all Chrome, all the time.

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