I haven’t received the update yet, but reports now state that Chrome 27 has been released and will be rolling out over the next few days. The Chrome 27 update for desktop was not too exciting, pretty much bringing performance improvements for the most part. Chrome OS is getting a bit more with update to version 27, though. These improvements are quite exciting, so let’s jump in and check them out!
Moveable Launcher
Your launcher can now be repositioned to fit your preferences. You can place it on the right, left or top of the screen. This level of customization is in every OS, so we were definitely expecting to see it come to Chrome OS.
Panel Windows
Panel Windows allows users to “dock” Chrome applications in the bottom-right side of the screen, next to the clock. It pretty much looks and feels like pinning. The guys at OMG Chrome are showing us how well Google Hangouts is working with it. I am especially happy to see this implementation, as the Google Hangouts situation is currently annoying me while using my Chromebook.
I have to open the browser to access my extensions and then open Hangouts. It’s just not the smoothest experience, so I am glad to see this improving Hangouts. We will have to wait and test it before we can tell you how well it works, but at least we can get an idea of how Google plans to handle Hangouts in the future.
Better Tab And Window Management
Things have improved since the beginning of Chrome OS, but we still need some work with tab/window management. Chrome OS 27 makes managing these a bit better by adding shortcuts to the apps in your launcher. Your Chrome icon will now display which tabs you have open, while apps will display a list of instances within that app. And even better, you can use 3 finger gestures (if your trackpad supports it) to move from window to window! Neat, right?
File Manager
The file manager now shows folder hierarchy for better organizing and finding your files. Search will also autocomplete, making file management even better.
Wrap Up
As expected, the update comes with its list of performance improvements and bug fixes. Not to mention the 5% speed increase that came with Chrome 27 for desktop. You should be getting your update within the next few days, so stay on the lookout for these improvements! I am most excited about fixing my Google Hangouts issues – what are you looking forward to the most in this update?
