The Chrome Cast

This week on The Chrome Cast, we begin the episode by getting the elephant out of the room right off the bat: Robby bought a Tesla. The stars aligned and with a great trade-in, reduced price, and the new federal tax credit, the timing was right. The excitement is obvious, but it gives way to some new content that could come from the Chrome Unboxed crew down the road if things work out.

The rest of our show focuses on two Chromebooks: one full of potential and one that’s a bit of a letdown. Our review of the ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5601 reveals a bit of a disappointment while our hopes for the upcoming HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook couldn’t be higher right now. We are still waiting for official word on the latter, but it feels like it should be soon, and this new Chromebook begs the question: is the consumer market ready for another big swing at a premium Chromebook? We sure hope so!

VIEW SHOW LINKS - (https://chromeunboxed.com/the-chrome-cast-212-hp-dragonfly-pro-chromebook/)

This episode is brought to you by Cameyo, the Chrome Enterprise Recommended virtualization solution that enables you to deliver all of your apps - including Windows, Linux, SaaS, and internal apps - to Chromebooks. CLICK HERE to get started today.

Fueled by Fresh Roasted Coffee! CLICK HERE to buy the special edition Chrome Unboxed bag.

This episode is also brought to you by NordVPN. CLICK HERE to try it out and get 2 years for $3.29 per month.

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This week, we felt it was only fitting to not only discuss Stadia’s final death, but also the cloud gaming revolution it looks to have started. While many of the main players in the cloud gaming space have been around for quite some time, Google’s efforts with Stadia brought the idea of streaming games to the forefront and regardless of whether or not it ever rises again from the ashes, the entire industry has them to thank for stoking those fires.

Moving forward, services like GeForce NOW are looking to pick up the slack, and with recent improvements and advancements, we’re all a bit shocked by just how good cloud gaming has become in the past year or so. Though Stadia as a platform is gone, its legacy surely lives on and the Chromebook gaming scene is better for it.

LINKS

Fueled by Fresh Roasted Coffee! CLICK HERE to buy the special edition Chrome Unboxed bag.

This episode is also brought to you by NordVPN. CLICK HERE to try it out and get 2 years for $3.29 per month.

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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on The Chrome Cast podcast, we're back with another interview episode and this time around we are chatting with Zach Alcorn who is a Product Manager at Google working on Gaming for ChromeOS. More specifically, Zach has been working tirelessly on a project that allows you to play Steam games on your Chromebook and has been heavily involved in the recent announcement of the beta version of Steam on ChromeOS entering the Beta channel. 

In our chat, we talk through all of the details regarding the Beta announcement, expanded availability, the game library, how they are improving the user experience, what it's like to work with Valve, and so much more. If you are a gamer or game developer, this is one that you will want to check out.

LINKS

Fueled by Fresh Roasted Coffee! CLICK HERE to buy the special edition Chrome Unboxed bag.

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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Chrome Cast, we discussed all the things we saw and tried at CES 2023 in Las Vegas last week.  It goes without saying that there were a ton of new ChromeOS devices from Chromeboxes to Chromebooks and it was our busiest CES yet.  We've published videos for all of it and for this week's podcast, we talk through all of that hardware to get you caught up on all the fun stuff we experienced while out there.  It was a fun trip and we're really excited to have CES back in person again this time around.

Fueled by Fresh Roasted Coffee! CLICK HERE to buy the special edition Chrome Unboxed bag.

This episode is also brought to you by NordVPN. CLICK HERE to try it out and get 2 years for $3.29 per month.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Chrome Cast, in light of the fact that this week is the strange, low-key week at the end of the year between Christmas and New Year's Day, we thought it appropriate to take a look back over the last 12 months and talk through our best performing posts on the website and most-viewed videos over on YouTube.  It's a fun episode and it made for a great way to close out 2022.  Hope you enjoy and have a Happy New Year!

LINKS

Fueled by Fresh Roasted Coffee! CLICK HERE to buy the special edition Chrome Unboxed bag.

This episode is also brought to you by NordVPN. CLICK HERE to try it out and get 2 years for $3.29 per month.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Chrome Cast, we start the discussion by talking through some of the entries on our yearly Gear of the Year Gift Guide. There are items on the list from Chromebooks to phones to earbuds to coffee makers, so if you are scrambling for a last-minute gift idea, there could be something there to spark the imagination.

For the rest of our time, we discuss the real need that exists for Google to put out a cost-effective Pixelbook to address the general malaise that has overtaken the low-end of the Chromebook market. With Pixelbooks launched in the past to light the way for Chromebook manufacturers in all sorts of ways, it is perhaps time for Google to do the same with a Surface Laptop SE-like, affordable, considered Pixelbook to showcase what is possible in an enjoyable, affordable Chromebook.

LINKS

Fueled by Fresh Roasted Coffee! CLICK HERE to buy the special edition Chrome Unboxed bag.

This episode is also brought to you by NordVPN. CLICK HERE to try it out and get 2 years for $3.29 per month.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Chrome Cast, we begin the show with discussion around the latest renders that have leaked for the upcoming Pixel Fold. Though this foldable phone from Google isn’t due until May (according to the rumors), the substantial leaks have truly begun. With these latest renders, we get a video and some specific measurements for the chassis and screen.

From there we move on to the new features that snuck into ChromeOS 108. On the surface this seemed like a tiny update, but there were some nice little features sprinkled here and there that are worth noting for sure. We close things up by talking about Fortnite’s new Season 4 graphics overhaul and how you can experience it in its full fidelity on a Chromebook.

LINKS

This episode is sponsored by VIZOR - OFFER 20% DISCOUNT! VIZOR is a Chromebook and IT Asset management solution designed specifically for Schools and School Districts. VIZOR integrates with the Google Admin console and with your Student Information System. Know who has what Chromebook, manage 1:1 programs, and track repairs. CLICK HERE to lock in a 20% DISCOUNT and to find out how VIZOR can help your School manage Chromebooks.

Fueled by Fresh Roasted Coffee! CLICK HERE to buy the special edition Chrome Unboxed bag.

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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Chrome Cast, our discussion revolves almost completely around our picks for Best Chromebooks of 2022. We just recently published a video and post rounding all these devices up, so you should definitely hit the show notes and watch that. For the podcast, we list those devices, but each of us choose two of our most favorite Chromebooks of the year and explain why they made the list. It’s a fun episode and is a great reminder that at this point in 2022, there are a ton of great devices to choose from if you are looking for a new Chromebook.

LINKS

This episode is sponsored by VIZOR - OFFER 20% DISCOUNT! VIZOR is a Chromebook and IT Asset management solution designed specifically for Schools and School Districts. VIZOR integrates with the Google Admin console and with your Student Information System. Know who has what Chromebook, manage 1:1 programs, and track repairs. CLICK HERE to lock in a 20% DISCOUNT and to find out how VIZOR can help your School manage Chromebooks.

Fueled by Fresh Roasted Coffee! CLICK HERE to buy the special edition Chrome Unboxed bag.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on The Chrome Cast podcast, we are back with another interview episode with Dean Bates and Jeff LaLonde from VIZOR, a Chromebook and IT asset management solution designed specifically for school districts. These folks have been a great partner of Chrome Unboxed for a while now – including a sponsorship of the video where we dropped a Chromebook off a two-story building – and we love working with them because we genuinely believe they have a software solution that is valuable to school districts and those working in EdTech.

So, if VIZOR sounds familiar, you’ve probably heard about them in a previous podcast episode or in a YouTube video, but we thought it was time to have them on the podcast to chat about what they do and the solutions that they offer.

In our conversation, we really dig into some of the problems that school IT administrators face when trying to manage Chromebooks and how so many schools struggle to keep track of devices. We talk through the solutions that VIZOR provides, but Jeff and Dean also offer up some general advice for schools who are trying to manage Chromebooks. If you are an IT Admin or technologist at a school or school district, you’re going to want to listen to this one.

LINKS

Fueled by Fresh Roasted Coffee!  CLICK HERE to buy the special edition Chrome Unboxed bag. 

This episode is brought to you by NordVPN. CLICK HERE to try it out and get 2 years for $3.29 per month.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on The Chrome Cast, we spend the first part of the show talking about the crazy deals happening all over the place this week, how you can score some of those (hint: get subscribed to our deals newsletter), and why affordable Chromebooks are getting so interesting. With the Kompanio 520/528 SoCs set to hit the market, MediaTek clearly sees the writing on the wall that the mid-range/affordable Chromebook segments are the ones on the rise, and we don’t think that will change anytime soon.

For the second half of the show, we discuss my early thoughts on the new Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition as we finally have it in the office and just recently published our unboxing and first impressions. We’ve also recently received the new Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook in the office that competes toe-to-toe with the excellent Acer Chromebook 516 GE, and now that it is fully available and on sale already, there’s an interesting battle that will begin in the ‘gaming’ Chromebook space.

LINKS

This episode is brought to you by Fresh Roasted Coffee.  To check it out, go to https://chromeunboxed.com/coffee/ and use the discount code UNBOXED for 15% off your initial purchase!

This episode is also brought to you by NordVPN. CLICK HERE to try it out and get 2 years for $3.29 per month.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices