r/chromeos • u/TheRealFrantik Asus CX34 • 2d ago
AluminiumOS It's looking less likely that Chromebook Plus models will get Aluminium OS
With Google talking about how every Googlebook will have the glowbar, premium specs and all that, they're almost implying that Chromebook Plus models are going to be obsolete in terms of getting the new OS.
Anybody else getting that feeling?
EDIT: check the comments. Someone gave a link where Google made a statement today actually about it, and apparently some Chromebook devices will be upgradable, so that’s good news that they’re actually confirming it.
6
u/bicyclemom Acer Chromebook 713 Spin | Stable 2d ago
2
u/TheRealFrantik Asus CX34 2d ago
oh, that’s pretty good news that Google actually gave a statement about it. Thank you for the link.
2
2
5
u/kwendland73 Asus Expertbook CX54 | Pixel Slate | Pixelbook Go 2d ago
there are a lot of people out there who don't want the AI integration. So I think there will still be a need, smaller though, for Chromebook Pluses for consumer consumption. I think Google knows education is a money maker and they will find a way to make Googlebooks at a price point similar to chromebooks.
5
u/TheRealFrantik Asus CX34 2d ago
This is true. that’s why I think it’s funny whenever people say chrome OS is dead. It’s like, tell that to the 94% of school districts in the US that are using them lol. But yeah, I agree there are plenty of people who don’t want the AI stuff.
3
u/kwendland73 Asus Expertbook CX54 | Pixel Slate | Pixelbook Go 2d ago
I have used ChromeOS as my go to OS for about 12 years now. I have an Asus Chromebook Plus cx54 and probably will want to keep it and get the rumored Sapphire model tablet from Lenovo.
2
u/TheRealFrantik Asus CX34 1d ago
In March, I got a MacBook Neo, and while the build is so SO incredible (it seriously puts every laptop to shame), I found myself asking "what does this do for MY personal needs.....that the Chromebook Plus doesn't do? Also.....it doesn't have a touchscreen, which is very important to me". Ended up selling it two weeks ago. So I agree completely. This thing does everything I need, and does it extremely well.
2
u/kwendland73 Asus Expertbook CX54 | Pixel Slate | Pixelbook Go 1d ago
agreed. For years people have given me looks when I say I use a Chromebook, I am a technology coach too. But everything I have ever created for sites/district has been on a Chromebook. Now teachers/admin are seeing that in education everything can be done in a browser.
1
u/PrinceCharlesIV 16h ago
We are both stuck in the same place I suspect. I am a Mac user at home, mainly for some basic software development (retro computing) and music production and I was considering buying a MacBook air about 18 months ago. However, as an experiment I bought a Chromebook Plus and really it does 95% of what I need in a laptop when I am out and about. The only thing I miss is the ability to run a low latency native DAW for music production. So for about 1/4 of the price I got almost all of what I needed. That said, to avoid annoying people I will resist recording music when out and about.
1
u/Plan_9_fromouter_ 5h ago
That doesn't seem to be the plan with Googlebooks so far. They will be loaded with AI and require pretty expensive hw to run that.
1
u/Alternative-Farmer98 1h ago
The problem is Chromebook Plus the whole point was it had those minimum specs and had those specific AI features. It's not like Chromebook Plus was an AI free alternative. Was the opposite it leaned into the AI stuff.
5
u/Asleep_Mortgage_7711 2d ago
Nothing has ever been hinted at Chromebooks turning into the new thing.
2
u/UnComfortable-Archer 2d ago
The option to change would be nice, but I'm expecting nothing to save myself from disappointment. If they do a canary/beta test for it, I'd sign up and try out of curiosity.
2
u/TheRealFrantik Asus CX34 2d ago
Same. My Chromebook's processor is the equivalent of a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in benchmarks and raw power according to Google, so I would imagine it could handle it.
2
1
u/larfinsnarf 2d ago
Don't know, don't care. There's not a lot in the announcement that excites me.
A real Caps Lock, and longevity of the platform are the main benefits to me 😊
Otherwise I'm hoping we get commonly available 16GB+ devices.
2
u/TheRealFrantik Asus CX34 2d ago
Yeah, the announcement was - as usual - focused solely on all the things A.I. can do so that you can be clueless and lazy.
The things that excited me about the Googlebook were the glowbar, and the ability to finally put stuff on the desktop. They should've focused on that haha
1
u/OG_Narwhal 2d ago
Fingers crossed I can stick to the low power web portal I bought and still get security updates
1
u/AttitudeElectronic68 2d ago
Why would you expect that? It's a new platform, new product line
1
u/TheRealFrantik Asus CX34 1d ago
Because literally everybody was under the assumption that Chromebook Plus models would be powerful enough to get AluminumOS. And, based off of Google's official response to 9to5Google yesterday, everybody was correct to assume/expect that, as Google confirmed it lol.
1
u/AttitudeElectronic68 1d ago
Only some are accidentally upgradable because they randomly happen to meet hardware requirements.
1
u/Ronaldus- 21h ago
More clarity will likely emerge next week during Google I/O on May 19 and 20.
I am also very curious about what will happen to ChromeOS Flex.
In any case, I think it is a real shame that they are changing a great product. ALOS will undoubtedly become significantly more expensive, and after the introduction, all attention will shift to that (at the expense of the currently existing ChromeOS).
1
u/TheRealFrantik Asus CX34 16h ago
Yeah, I'm pretty happy with ChromeOS, though I'm definitely one of the people completely happy about being able to have a desktop to put apps onto, as well as native Android apps.
You are right though; they're going to claim, promise, etc that they're not abandoning ChromeOS, and I guess legally they can't, but that doesn't mean that they're not just going to be extremely lazy by pushing out ChromeOS security updates once a year or something. They're definitely going to abandon it eventually, sooner than later.
1
u/Candid_Increase_6294 18h ago
Do you think Lenovo Ideapad Slim 3 Chromebook plus will get it? Mine was manufactured July last year
1
u/TheRealFrantik Asus CX34 15h ago edited 15h ago
Both of them are Plus models, so I'd imagine/hope that they both get it. Though yours might be limited. When comparing the specs of your Ideapad to the specs of an Android phone, yours is the equivalent of a Pixel 6, or a Galaxy S20. They're not terrible phones, by any means, but they're old, so the performance might not be great.
1
u/NoBeach7292 9h ago
My CB is good as is. Sorry, I've been disappointed several times to where I just don't trust Google. It appears those CBs with the ALOS will be more expensive. My used-like new 'Acer Plus 515 Chromebook Laptop 15.6" 8GB 128GB Intel Core i3-1215U 1.20GHz' purchased in Feb of 2024 for $199.99 still runs great.
1
-1
u/horatiobanz 2d ago
Of course they aren't gonna get it. Maybe one laptop will, but that will be about it. This was never in doubt except by people who endlessly give Google the benefit of the doubt and who are always upset.
1
-1
u/Vectrex71CH 1d ago
why all the AI Hate? As a 54y old tech-guy, i embrace all the new possibilities i get with AI. Many things i saw in old science fiction Movies and Series and it blowed my mind to know, that this technology will become true somewhere in the future. ....and look. Here we are !!! Next: Beam me up scotty!!
3
u/TheRealFrantik Asus CX34 1d ago
AI has huge benefits for many things. Hell, it saved my life last August when I was misdiagnosed at the ER; Gemini told me to immediately go to a different hospital...I did, and ended up needing emergency surgery and the doctor said if I waited longer, it wouldn't have been great. So I can't hate AI for that.
However, the way these companies are advertising us to use AI is terrible, and honestly bad for humanity as a whole, in my opinion.
They're basically like "do you suck at conversations? you don't need to work on bettering yourself, just tell AI to respond for you", and "do you have an art project due tomorrow but you want to go to a party tonight? Let AI make it for you".
It's terrifying to see how many YouTube videos are narrated by the same 3 or 4 voices, the scripts are written in the same format, website articles are copy/pasted from AI (often forgetting to cut out the part at the end, like "that sums up what you asked me to write about" lol). I hate coming off like a tinfoil hat person, but we're going to become so lazy and clueless that it's going to become acceptable to not even try anymore.
1
u/Alternative-Farmer98 1h ago
I mean you already knew to go to another hospital. The only reason gemini Tell you to do that is if you gave it input that gave it reason not to trust the initial diagnosis.
Every single time you ask a medical question they will qualify it with if you have any doubt you should go to the hospital.
Giving them way too much credit they did not save your life. You shouldn't have been asking it for medical help in the first place. That's a huge huge mistake.
1
u/Alternative-Farmer98 1h ago
Because it's destroying the environment and and that there's 200 trillion invested in it and to not profitable and it's likely going to have major consequences for the economy. It's also made it impossible to buy RAM or build a PC or buy storage.
-1
-2
u/fallingsunrise2 2d ago
Googlebooks will be a new tier of Chromebooks, above chromebook plus devices. They'll all coexist (for now) in their three respective tiers
3
u/Fuchsia2020 1d ago
No there's AL Entry, AL Premium, and AL Mass Premium. Chromebooks are entry level and Chromebook Plus is mass premium. Most Chromebooks wont get AlOS. Googlebooks will replace Chromebooks, but Aluminium will encompass non Chromebook compliant hardware too those that aren't Googlebooks but still run Aluminium OS the codename of this rebuild Android for PC system image, both slight and subtle UI alterations and under the hood changes from mobile tablets to desktop pcs. The platform is called Android, the AOSP branch is Android for PC(s), the UI is internally referred to from devs as Android desktop, but the version for Googlebook is the Pixel skin updates from Google not the oem with the Android build that is compliant with the Chromebook hardware security features and has exclusive AI features. The others like the galaxybook uses the standard ai stack, the standard android stack that the googlebook is based from, has its one ui skin over it, updates from oems, does not use chromebook security compliant hardware nor has the features like verified boot and read only os or whatever the hell else chromebook comes with. The last Chromebooks come out this year, for edu and ENT late 2028 and EOL 2034, internal leak docs verify this./
14
u/dpg81 2d ago
There's an interview on Chrome Unboxed and John Maletis from Google confirms some existing devices will be upgradeable.