Chromebook – Parallels Blog

Just Released — Parallels Desktop for Chrome OS Adds Full-featured Windows Apps Support for Intel Core i3 and AMD Ryzen 3 Processor Powered Enterprise Chromebooks

Sharda Veeramally — Wed, 11 May 2022 13:30:00 +0000

Critical enterprise and education solution becomes accessible on affordable Chromebooks; now bundled with select HP Chrome OS Enterprise devices

We’re excited to announce that Parallels Desktop for Chrome OS now supports affordable enterprise and education Chromebooks with Intel i3 11^th generation and AMD Ryzen 3 5000 series processors with minimum 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage.* Businesses and educational institutions can now run full-featured Windows applications, both online and offline, on Chromebooks with Intel Core i3 11^th generation and newer plus AMD Ryzen 3 5000 series and up processors—simplifying their IT management and enabling seamless productivity for their employees, staff, and students to perform their best from anywhere.

Additionally, Parallels® Desktop for Chrome OS now comes bundled with select HP Chrome OS Enterprise devices with a 1-year free license for one user. Supported devices include select HP Elite Chromebook, HP Pro Chromebook, and HP Chromebox series. Full list of supported HP devices and product details are available at www.parallels.com/hpchrome.

“With Parallels Desktop for Chrome OS, we are continuing to make strides in ensuring that our current and new customers have access to our powerful solution that enables them to perform their best work, regardless of their location, device, or platform—both online and offline,” said Prashant Ketkar, Chief Technology & Product Officer at Corel. “Especially with the shift to remote work, we have redoubled our commitment to democratizing technology by amplifying the access of our critical solutions to newer devices and platforms enabling greater productivity. We are excited for our solution to be bundled with the new HP Chrome OS Enterprise devices allowing users the ability to run Windows desktop applications on select HP Chrome OS devices.”

“The need for powerful, secure, and reliable solutions that meet the ever-evolving needs of hybrid workers is more critical than ever,” said Alex Thatcher, Director, Cloud Clients at HP. “At HP, we’re committed to enabling users with the power to do it all for work or play, and our collaboration with Parallels further solidifies that commitment. We’re excited to bundle Parallels Desktop for Chrome OS with select HP Elite Chromebooks, empowering IT admins to deliver the tools their users need to perform their best from anywhere.”

Parallels Desktop for Chrome OS also offers Windows 11 support with new virtual machines (VM) for all current and new customers to take advantage of the latest Windows operating systems features, tools, and the redesigned look, right on their enterprise and education Chromebooks.

*Full list of Parallels Desktop for Chrome OS supported devices and latest system requirements: https://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/chrome/resources/#section-requirements.

See how Parallels Desktop for Chrome OS enables full-featured Windows apps on a Chromebook in this short video.

Pricing and Free Trial

Parallels Desktop for Chrome OS enterprise edition is available for $69.99 USD annually per user and the education edition for $39.99 USD annually per user.

Learn more about Parallels Desktop for Chrome OS, including a free full-featured one-month trial with five user licenses, are available online at parallels.com/chrome.

The post Just Released — Parallels Desktop for Chrome OS Adds Full-featured Windows Apps Support for Intel Core i3 and AMD Ryzen 3 Processor Powered Enterprise Chromebooks appeared first on Parallels Blog.

What to Do with Chromebook After End of Life?

Nicolette Carklin — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 05:42:00 +0000

One of the benefits of using a Chromebook is that you don’t have to worry about installing updates manually; Google takes care of that for you. But nothing lasts forever, including auto-update support for your Chromebook. Once your Chromebook reaches its end of life (EOL) or, more accurately, auto-update expiration (AUE)—the official term used for the Chrome device end of life—it will no longer receive auto-updates for new features or security patches.

So, what to do with your Chromebook after its end of life? We will cover what happens when the automatic updates expire on your device.

Find the End of Life for Your Chromebook Device

You must find out the end of life or auto-expiration date for your Chromebook before you make a purchase. Otherwise, you will be at risk of purchasing a Chromebook that may stop receiving auto-updates and technical support in a couple of years. Whether you’re purchasing a budget Chromebook or one of the high-end ones, not being able to maximize your investment can be disappointing.

Chromebook’s AUE is tied to the underlying platform being used by the Chromebook, not to the date of purchase or the device itself. A new Chromebook model might use an older platform, which makes it a little tricky to determine the AUE. Unfortunately, Chromebooks do not have an AUE mentioned on their packaging. But you can simply visit the Google Auto Update policy page to find a list of all Chromebooks and their corresponding AUE dates. Alternatively, you can also go to your Chromebook settings to find out when your device will receive its last update.

Once EOL is reached, you will receive a notification warning you about its expiration and suggesting that you avoid using it beyond the AUE date. But here’s the thing: Although most people refer to EOL or AUE date as expiration date, it’s practically more like a “best-before” date. Technically, you can continue using your Chromebook after the AUE date. Just don’t expect to receive the latest software updates or any technical support after that.

Chromebook Updates are Important

If you’re one of those people who don’t care much about the end of auto-update support, here are a few reasons why you should:

Within the first six weeks, you will be missing out on a significant revision. Google releases updates for its Chrome OS every two to three weeks with minor fixes and issues a major update every six weeks. That’s the regular schedule, but updates can happen even more frequently.
It’s not just a few improvements and new features that your Chromebook will be lacking. Chromebook updates include critical bug fixes and security updates as well.
Some existing features may also stop working.

If your device stops working as expected, you won’t be entitled to any technical support from Google.
You will not be able to use some applications and extensions down the line that require a specific Chrome OS or browser version.
For devices with Chrome Education Upgrade or Chrome Enterprise Upgrade, the Admin console may not work as usual. And this is in addition to the fact that administrators won’t be able to utilize the new features released after AUE is reached.

Google Supports Devices for a Maximum of Eight Years

This whole concept of an expiration date tied to your Chromebook may be annoying. But if you do your market research prior to purchasing a Chromebook, you could be enjoying auto-update support for as long as eight years. But remember, eight years is not standard for all Chromebooks.

Google extended its AUE for newer Chromebook models that have platforms launched in 2020 or beyond. Starting from the device platform release date, all Chromebooks using that platform will receive auto-update support for eight years. To be exact, the support will end in the month of June, following the completion of those eight years. So the exact AUE date may be a bit more or less than precisely eight years. The lines do get a bit blurry, so the only way to know for sure is to refer to the Google Auto Update policy page or the Chromebook’s settings.

Extend the Life of Your Chromebook with Parallels Desktop for Chromebook

Technically, you can keep using your Chromebook beyond its AUE for as long as it works. But if you’re not comfortable doing that, there’s a workaround that allows you to enjoy an up-to-date OS without switching your Chromebook. With Parallels®️ Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise, you can run a Windows virtual machine on Chrome OS. You can run your applications on the Windows virtual machine, which will still be getting the latest Windows updates.

Using Windows on Chromebook with Parallels Desktop for Chrome OS is seamless because of mouse, camera, microphone and USB smart-card reader support that provides full integration with Chrome Enterprise solutions. You can also print directly from Windows applications to Chrome OS printers. You can switch instantly between Windows and Chrome OS without rebooting your device and even move content between the two environments through a shared clipboard. And because it allows you to run full-featured Windows applications, including Microsoft Office, you can leverage the full power of Windows while enjoying all the benefits of a Chrome OS.

Interested in trying out Parallels Desktop for Chrome OS? Download a free trial!

The post What to Do with Chromebook After End of Life? appeared first on Parallels Blog.

Chromebook vs Tablet—Which Is the Better Option for Your Business?

Nicolette Carklin — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 13:25:00 +0000

Chromebooks and tablets have now emerged not only as a real alternative but also a useful adjunct to conventional computers. Both private and business users now have a wide selection of different mobile devices to choose from to maximize productivity and use key services from any location. There are lots of device types and models to choose from, depending on your preferences and requirements. Would you prefer a tablet with an add-on keyboard or perhaps a lightweight laptop?

Flexible, mobile productivity is increasingly important for businesses, too, with conventional desktop computers and business notebooks losing ground. But the requirements for the latest mobile workplace devices are generally the same: they should be easy to use, do their job reliably and, because of the large quantities involved, be within an affordable price range. And this is where people are opting increasingly for Chromebooks and tablets rather than conventional notebooks. But why are Chromebooks so popular these days, and what’s the best way to deal with their (minor) shortfalls?

Why Use a Chromebook?

Chromebooks are simple and cheap, and designed entirely around the most frequent everyday and work tasks using a lightweight operating system. No wonder that Chromebooks have become increasingly popular in recent years: between 2019 and late 2020, Chromebooks have increased their market share to close to 11%, marking a considerable increase from 6.4% in 2019 and thus making Google Chrome OS the fastest growing operating system in terms of market share. Chromebooks are particularly popular with universities but are now taking the business sector by storm, too.

Chromebooks don’t run on Windows or macOS, which creates a very different experience for users of conventional computers or PCs. It might feel odd in the beginning. The centerpieces of the Chromebook are traditionally the Chrome browser and web applications. As soon as users want to use full-fledged applications, a Chromebook can feel a bit lacking, as this is not what they are designed for.

So, what are the arguments for using a Chromebook?

Lightweight and easy to use: Chromebooks really come into their own if you’re looking for a low-cost way to work online. You can work with basic spreadsheets or text documents in the browser. There’s a reason the laptops and the operating system are named after the famous browser. Chromebook is the spiritual successor to the netbooks from the late 2000s, which were designed to be transportable internet devices with little memory and minimalistic operating systems. Chromebooks now offer far more than the browser and Google services. Play Store for Android means millions of different apps can be used on the laptops, with many models also offering Linux-based apps. Newer Chromebook models have left the tradition of being low power devices behind, and they offer CPU power, memory configurations, and disk storage similar to regular laptops.

Wide selection: Chromebooks come in a range of models, and the technical differences between them can be significant, with different manufacturers, sizes, and formats. Their builds can differ widely, too: as well as conventional laptop format they also come as convertibles and detachable, which are combinations of a tablet and a laptop. But the dominant form factor is that of a mobile computer. The hardware also varies widely from one Chromebook model to another. Many use typical notebook processors, but others use ARM processors, which are used mostly in tablets and smartphones.

Fit for everyday tasks: Chromebooks are real laptops with fully functional keyboards, trackpads, and ports for connecting a second monitor, USB devices, headphones, and even SD card readers in some cases. For many users, that’s all the capacity a laptop needs. Like other laptops, Chromebooks perform best on your desk or, if necessary, on your lap, as the name suggests. And like many other laptops, they can be fitted with an external monitor, a mouse, and possibly an external keyboard to form mini desktop workstations so you can spend hours working in comfort.

Why Use a Tablet?

Tablets have been around in their present form for over a decade. The public perception of them has gone through a number of transformations. After the success of the smartphone revolution, many people predicted that tablets would follow suit and would be found in every household within a few years, replacing notebooks or computers altogether. Although they haven’t quite made computers obsolete, it’s now clear that tablets have found their niche with millions of contented users.

, Unlike Chromebooks, tablets do not run on a single specified operating system. Since tablets were originally technically closely related to smartphones, many tablets and smartphones still have much in common. Android and iOS, or iPadOS, are still the most widespread systems used for tablets. But there are also tablets and convertibles that run on Windows and even Chrome OS, which is where the dividing line between Chromebooks and tablets really starts to blur.

Here are the main strengths of tablets in relation to every day and work tasks.

Reading and commenting: Originally, the standout strength of tablets was for using media and completing any task that could be done on a handheld device. Tablets are great devices for reading books or magazines (as well as work documents). There’s no other device that provides such a natural, comfortable reading experience. They also make correcting reports and annotating drafts child’s play.

Communicating: They are also far more practical than a smartphone for productive tasks. They’re great for attending a video conference or following video workshops, and they are also brilliant digital notebooks. Tablets are much easier to use than a smartphone for editing emails.

Presenting: Tablets are not just brilliant for showing photos, they are also very practical for personal or intimate business presentations. Sales representatives can use them to replace product catalogs they present to clients, whilst employees can use them to send drafts back and forth easily and get feedback quickly.

Interacting: With tablets, you can interact directly with content or documents using your fingers or a stylus. They make a perfect combination of a computer and a notebook, book or magazine.

But tablets are not usually the ideal option for completing productive and more complex tasks. In most cases, however, simply adding a keyboard or even a mouse is all it takes to make a tablet a viable alternative to a laptop. Tablets increasingly have the capacity to complete productive tasks. That’s because tablet operating systems are being refined constantly to allow more and more handy accessories to be connected. It’s now easy to connect keyboards and screens to modern tablets. With a dock that bundles together all the peripheral devices in an office, tablets can also now be converted into surprisingly productive desktop devices.

And as the hardware improves and the number of desktop functions available on tablets increases, software manufacturers are also following suit with ambitious high-productivity apps. Tablets, like Chromebooks, also benefit from the latest cloud solutions. Office 365, or files in the cloud, mean important files can be accessed or edited at any time. The remaining limitations are more often due to the software, as tablets are mobile devices, and often provide only the rather limited mobile versions of key apps.

A Chromebook, or a Tablet with a Keyboard?

Businesses have to make a conscious decision on whether to distribute lightweight systems such as Chromebooks or tablets to their employees or to rely on Windows laptops or MacBooks. The reasons may be cost savings, a focus on standardized cloud applications, or they may choose to use mobile devices as an extension to existing computers. That’s because tablets and Chromebooks offer long battery lives and are easy to use, while also being manageable and maintainable by a central IT department.

In practice, it can be a challenge for companies, as well as private individuals, to find the right devices that strike the perfect balance between mobility and productivity and still meet individual preferences and usage patterns. There are a few objective criteria behind this decision, but also others that are less clear-cut and based on taste and personal preferences.

The differences are much clearer when it comes to productivity rather than taste. If you do a lot of writing, you’ll need the best possible keyboard. Chromebooks almost always come with a large, fully functional keyboard and a large touchpad. This means you can work in a relaxed, ergonomic, and productive setting. By contrast, tablet keyboards are mainly aids that work best on short texts but are less suitable for writing sessions lasting hours. The size of the screen is another important criterion: whilst most business notebooks or Chromebooks sports screens measuring 13 inches or more, the display on most tablets is smaller, from 10 to a maximum of 13 inches. They also have more space for the keyboard.

If you tend to read a lot and don’t spend so much time working with documents and spreadsheets, you’ll be better off with a tablet for everyday tasks. If you need the best possible battery life, you might tend towards a Chromebook, as they are far more energy efficient. Lightweight laptops like a Chromebook have advantages in certain situations. They’re particularly practical when working in surroundings with a surface, for example. On your lap or at a desk, a laptop will almost always be easier to use than a tablet with a docked keyboard. That’s because tablets tend to be top-heavy. The combination of heavy tablet and light keyboard makes the top-heavy tablet less stable, so it’s liable to tip over. With a notebook, the keyboard is integrated into the bottom casing and forms the center of gravity, making a Chromebook more stable than a tablet on an uneven or wobbly surface. The tablet is far more versatile in particularly constrained and awkward settings where you don’t have a place to set it down. In these situations, you can disconnect the keyboard and use the tablet as designed.

The distinction between Chromebooks and tablets isn’t always so clear, either. There are also tablets that run with Chrome OS instead of Android or Windows but are still Chromebooks. In terms of the typical software used, the difference between the Chromebook and tablet is less than you might think. One of the things Chrome OS or Android and iPadOS have in common is that they are limited primarily to browsers and their respective app stores. None of the apps Chromebooks get from the Google Play Store, or tablets get from a mobile apps store, are fully functional.

Use Native Windows Applications on Your Chromebook

The only thing stopping Chromebooks from being fully functional computers is the software. There’s an easy, low-cost way to turn Chromebooks into real PCs. Many recent, more powerful Chromebook models have the capacity to use Windows as a virtual machine, allowing them to use the entire range of productive software available across the company. How do you do it? Use Parallels® Desktop for Chrome OS. The IT department can use it to install a virtual environment, so employees can do things they never would have dreamt possible on lightweight mobile computers. With this solution, all programs and files are native on the laptop, so there’s no need for cloud services or a mandatory internet connection.

Parallels Desktop for Chrome OS is an effective tool that helps IT and all employees to enhance these simple, lightweight devices and Chrome OS with missing Windows features. This enables Chromebooks to cover complex tasks that would traditionally be associated with an office computer. It is a straightforward and user-friendly way of accessing specialist applications and tools that have no equivalent in the cloud or Play Store—on devices which were designed originally to run entirely without Windows.

Using Parallels Desktop for Chrome OS allows companies to plug the gap between Chrome OS and Windows with these benefits:

Full Windows functionality: Parallels Desktop for Chrome OS is a way of importing the almost unlimited range of Windows programs into the slimmed-down Chrome OS platform. One of these imports is the fully functional desktop version of Microsoft Office. Windows and the programs you want need room to expand, so a minimum of 128 gigabytes of memory and 8 (preferably 16) gigabytes of RAM is recommended.

The perfect combination: High levels of integration mean users can access files on Chromebook from Windows and vice versa. With shared folders, you don’t even have to restart Windows. Windows and the apps can run in a window or in full-screen format. Windows can even access some items that are connected to the laptop, such as a printer or the network connection.

User friendly: Parallels Desktop for Chrome OS is distributed to users by the IT department via the company’s Google Admin console. So, users don’t face extra costs or added complexity getting the Windows add-on up and running. Provided that IT has configured the license and VM on the back end, users just need to click a Parallels icon, and it will download the corporate Windows VM template. Once they do that, the Windows system is ready to go, waiting to fill in the app gap.

Find out more about Parallels Desktop for Chrome OS now.

The post Chromebook vs Tablet—Which Is the Better Option for Your Business? appeared first on Parallels Blog.

What Is Chromebook Developer Mode, and What Can It Do?

Nicolette Carklin — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 07:41:00 +0000

Chromebooks are extremely affordable and simplistic mobile devices that still offer the form factor and usability of fully fledged laptops. No wonder Chromebooks are gaining in popularity as clients in education and business alike. And, if you use a Chromebook, you need to know about Chromebook Developer Mode—the key to unleashing your Chromebook’s full potential. It unlocks Google Chrome OS and enables access to otherwise hidden and locked practical functions. Developer mode opens the file system to the user and removes the device’s boot locker, which is used to prevent users from installing an alternative operating system. In practice, this allows you to access advanced settings, install your own applications or even use an alternative operating system. Using Chromebook Developer Mode is almost equivalent to jailbreaking your iPhone or rooting your Android device. In the same way, the system’s user locks are removed to open up a whole host of new options.

What Is Chromebook Developer Mode?

Chromebook Developer Mode opens up your Chromebook, freeing you from the restrictions Google imposes on users. Chrome OS is designed to be as simple as possible for users and custom-built for essential Google services only. For this reason, Chromebook offers its users limited freedom compared with conventional PCs. Despite the name, Developer Mode is intended not only for development work. Instead, it removes restrictions, opening up Chrome OS for third-party applications and third-party operating systems.

By default, Chromebooks are limited to applications from the Google Play Store and (on many devices) Linux applications enabled by the relatively new, optional Linux subsystem for Chrome OS. With Developer Mode, users can install applications from any other source or install Linux as the primary operating system and thus turn their Chromebook into a Linux laptop without the software limitations that Chrome OS has. For example, a lightweight Linux distribution allows you to use a fully functional, second operating system, which gives you even more liberties in terms of software and system access. Developers can now test and debug applications with different operating systems or use Linux as a development environment. Regular users also gain the freedom of choice for their operating system on Chromebooks. All this without losing Chrome OS, which you can still boot into if you choose so.

However, there are some drawbacks to activating this potentially very useful mode. It does, for example, remove some security features of Chrome OS that are designed to prevent malware from effectively attacking your system. That’s because Developer Mode eliminates the security feature that allows you to install only certified applications. This can be particularly problematic in a business context. Users normally have very limited access to Chrome OS—unless this lock is removed manually. With the latest devices, you may also void your warranty. Perhaps the biggest downside to enabling Developer Mode is that this procedure wipes all of your user data.

How Can You Enable Chromebook Developer Mode?

Before you begin enabling Developer Mode, you should create a backup of all important data currently on your Chromebook on an external storage device, as this data will be lost during the process. And, when you disable Developer Mode, all data from your personal download folder is similarly wiped.

Enabling Developer Mode requires little more than a restart and a keyboard shortcut.

Turn on your Chromebook, or reboot it if it’s already on by pressing and holding the Esc and Refresh keys at the same time and then also pressing the Power button. The Chromebook starts and stops with the message Chrome OS is missing or damaged. This isn’t an error – the Chromebook is simply in recovery mode.

Now press Ctrl and D to start Developer Mode. After a few minutes, Developer Mode is enabled.

Each time you restart the Chromebook, it will display the warning OS verification is OFF and sound a beep to alert the user that this mode is active. However, you can use the Ctrl + D shortcut again to skip this message and accelerate the startup process. You need to be careful when restarting your Chromebook. If you press the spacebar while this message is displayed, you will disable Developer Mode and re-wipe your user data.

Access Windows Development Tools and Applications with Parallels Desktop for Chrome OS

While Developer Mode offers users more liberties with their Chromebooks, it won’t turn Chrome OS into a regular desktop OS with millions of applications to choose from like Windows. Additionally, while more flexibility looks like a welcome feature for Chromebooks, dropping security features in exchange is not a good trade-off in the business space. If companies want to use Chromebooks in a productive way without compromising the security of their devices, they need a solution that is tailored to professional use. Parallels® Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise provides business users with a simple, professional option for using Windows, applications and development environments like Visual Studio in an approved, secure way on Chromebooks. It allows Chromebook users to unlock all the capabilities of professional Windows applications with the full backing and support of their IT department.

Parallels Desktop for Chromebook OS opens up Chrome OS for all Windows applications (provided the hardware requirements are met). If a company wants to use this solution for its Chrome fleet, all it needs to have in place are the Google Admin Console, a corporate storage server for distributing Windows images, and licenses for Windows and Parallels Desktop.

Learn more about Parallels Desktop for Chrome OS and download a free trial!

The post What Is Chromebook Developer Mode, and What Can It Do? appeared first on Parallels Blog.

What Is the Difference Between a Chromebook and a Laptop?

Nicolette Carklin — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 08:01:00 +0000

The global market for personal computers in the education sector is expected to grow from US$20.2 billion in 2018 to US$48 billion by 2025, or a 13.31% compound annual growth rate for that period. Microsoft, Google and Apple are among the top-selling device providers for the education sector globally. In the US, Google Chromebooks lead the PC education market, followed by Windows 10 laptops. Google and Microsoft are poised to take advantage of the growth opportunities in the market.

Chromebook Definition

A Chromebook refers to any laptop, desktop or tablet that runs on the Google-developed and Gentoo Linux-based Chrome OS, which in turn was derived from the open-source Chromium OS. Compared to other operating systems, Chrome OS is lightweight and fast, allowing you to edit photos, browse the web, check emails, listen to music, and watch and stream videos with ease.

A common misconception about Chromebooks is that they require an always-on internet connection. This may have been true when the first Chromebooks came out, but this is not so true now—you can edit Google Docs and other documents and even watch movies offline.

The Google Chrome web browser is the primary user interface for Chromebook applications. This is in line with Google’s objective for the Chromebook—a laptop that will run applications seamlessly from the cloud and without the need for installing applications on local drives. In essence, a Chromebook is a thin client with a browser-based OS geared to take advantage of the cloud. It is not surprising that 100GB of Google Drive cloud storage (good for two years) comes standard with a Chromebook.

Google started work on the Chrome OS in June 2009. The first Chromebooks, from Acer and Samsung, came out in June 2011. Initially met with skepticism, these relatively cheap machines soon began gaining popularity.

Google came out with its own Chromebook in 2013, the Chromebook Pixel, which had better specs than most Chromebooks from other manufacturers at that time. The Pixel was also priced higher than the usual Chromebook. The Google Pixelbook replaced the Pixel in 2017.

Chromebooks have become sleeker and more feature-rich in recent years, helped along by continuous innovation from the Google team responsible for Chrome OS development. Seeing how Chromebooks have helped others in their industries, more organizations and people are adopting them. Leading the upsurge in demand is the education sector. In the US, Chromebooks comprised 60% of the computers bought by schools in 2018.

Chrome OS comes with a media player and file manager plus support for Chrome Apps, which are like native applications. Remote access to the Chrome desktop is standard.

In 2014, Google added support for Android applications to Chromebooks; two years later, Chromebooks could access Android applications on Google Play. If your Chromebook has a touchscreen (some do not), your user experience with Android applications on a Chromebook will not be that different from running them on an Android device.

In 2018, the addition of a lightweight Linux kernel that runs containers inside a virtual machine allowed Linux applications to run on Chromebooks.

Initially available only on laptops, Chrome OS variants now power desktops known as Chromeboxes, all-in-one computers dubbed Chromebases, and dongles known as Chromebits. Acer and Google also partnered to create a Chromebook tablet in 2018.

Officially, Chrome OS is available only on Google-sanctioned hardware from leading manufacturers. Chromium OS can be compiled from source code and installed on standard hardware. It’s also possible to get CloudReady OS for a Chrome OS experience on PCs

Chromebook Security

Google is a newcomer in operating systems compared to Apple and Microsoft. Fortunately, when it comes to security, Google learned from the mistakes of its rivals. Knowing the risks of a constantly connected world, Google adopted the following features to harden the Chrome OS and thwart malicious actors.

Sandboxing: All application processes are confined to the Chrome OS tab running the application. Thus, even if malware finds its way into a Chromebook, it remains confined to the specific tab that ran the application containing the malware, without any chance of infecting the rest of the system. In contrast, unless administrators run mitigation measures such as installing anti-virus software and running regular scans, Windows and MacOS are vulnerable to malware finding their way into the system.
Verified boot: Chromebooks go through this self-diagnostic process to ensure that only code from Google gets to run when booting the system. Thus, even if for some reason malicious code gets inserted into your system, once it boots, this code gets trapped before bootup completion. This effectively neutralizes the threat. This feature is like Windows Secure Boot, which has been known to fail at times due the complexity of Windows.
Data encryption: With Chromebooks storing almost all their data on the cloud, it is virtually impossible to get to these data locally, particularly since the Chrome OS encrypts any data on the device. Since the Chrome OS is lightweight, the encryption process does not impact system performance. With Windows devices, data encryption is available only to Windows Pro users via Bitlocker. It can also lead to significant performance degradation, particularly if your device hardware is not up to the task.
Automatic updates: Google guarantees OS updates for Chromebooks for seven years after release. These updates are applied automatically and do not require restarts nor downtime. The upgrade process works this way: Chrome OS applies the updates to one of the two versions running on the hardware at the same time, then puts the updated version to work once the update process is over. The update process in other OSes may be more complicated because the different hardware and OS combinations can lead to issues, as is the case with recent Windows updates.

Powerwash: This feature allows Chromebook you to reset your systems to factory state with a click of a button. The process takes two minutes at most. Since most applications are on the cloud, you do not have to wait for your data to be copied back to the system. The Reset PC feature on Windows PCs mimics this feature.

All of these features tighten Chromebook security. This is not to say that malware and other threats cannot ever infiltrate Chromebooks, since there are other vectors into the system such as Chrome extensions. Thus, users must remain vigilant and not take security for granted.

Chromebook Cost

Although some Chromebooks are expensive, most are cheaper than Windows laptops. This is because they have lower-priced parts and specifications. For example, Chromebooks do not require more powerful Intel or AMD CPUs—they can run on lesser-known CPUs with fewer capabilities without any significant performance impact. Since graphics-intensive applications are not allowed to be installed locally on Chromebooks, they also do not require expensive graphics cards.

Moreover, Chromebooks do not require large storage drives since you can store your data on the cloud. Thus, it is common to find Chromebooks with as low as 16GB storage via embedded Multi-Media Controller (eMMC) data storage. The same is not true in Windows—even low-end Windows laptops require at least 128GB, considering that you may need to install some applications locally.

The lower system requirements for Chromebooks mean that they are much cheaper, even if you compare them to Windows laptops with similar specifications. If you consider the considerably shorter time it takes to deploy Chromebooks in the enterprise, you also save deployment and IT administration costs.

Chromebook Productivity

Chromebooks have a wide range of web and Android applications that you can run on the Chrome browser and are available from the Chrome Web and Google Play Stores, respectively. These include productivity software such as Microsoft Office and various other software. Some of these applications also offer offline functionality.

However, Windows still offers better variety and more functionality when it comes to software. For example, if you are a graphics designer, you can install Photoshop on Windows if you have capable hardware. This is not possible in Chrome.

Although their numbers have improved recently, the range of applications available for use on Chromebooks is still not that extensive compared to Windows, although that may change soon. With software such as Parallels® Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise, it is now possible to use Windows applications on your Chromebook.

Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise Will Bring Windows Applications to Chromebooks

Released in late 2020, Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise is set to become the world’s first desktop virtualization solution for full-featured Windows virtual machines (VMs) on Chromebooks, without an internet connection.

With Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise, IT administrators can manage the automated deployment of VMs that are fully capable Windows installations, just like any physical Windows PC. It also allows the reuse of Windows VMs previously created in Parallels® Desktop for Mac.

From the Parallels® Desktop for Chrome OS Launcher, users can download a virtual machine directly to their Chromebooks, without any additional setup requirements. Downloads are secured via a Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA) 256.

Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise allows sharing of Chrome OS folders with Windows and vice versa, and the redirection of Windows user folders to the Windows files section on Chrome OS. It provides quick access to VM settings, including the almost-instant ability to suspend and resume working with Windows applications. There is a seamless transition between mouse input in Windows and Chrome OS, and you can switch easily to a full-screen Chrome OS, if needed.

Time and time zones on the VM are synchronized from Chrome OS, and the network connection is shared between Chrome OS and Windows, with the latter effectively behind a virtual Network Address Translation (NAT). Host proxy configurations and Windows VPNs are supported, and printing from Windows applications to Chrome OS printers is allowed.

If your organization is already using Chromebooks, Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise is the ideal solution for finally running full-featured Windows applications that you need to boost your productivity. If you are mulling between lower-cost Chromebooks and more expensive Windows laptops, it can help you decide in favor of the former, since it means that you can finally use Windows applications even in a Chromebook-only environment.

Get started with Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise!

References

Laptop Mag | https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/chromebooks-vs-windows

Wikipedia | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromebook

The post What Is the Difference Between a Chromebook and a Laptop? appeared first on Parallels Blog.

Manage Your Chromebooks with Chromebook Enterprise Enrollment

Nicolette Carklin — Mon, 09 Nov 2020 08:01:00 +0000

Chromebook Enterprise Enrollment is the process of enrolling your Chromebook as part of a particular organization. It benefits organizations by enabling administrators to manage Chrome device updates and policies, allow or deny website access, view and configure applications and extensions, and manage Chrome devices with Active Directory from a centralized location.

What Is Enterprise Enrollment?

Centralized management is a desirable feature for every administrator. Enterprise Enrollment on Chrome OS is one method for achieving centralization. Enterprise Enrollment marks devices and enrolls them as part of a particular organization, thus enabling better management.

Enrollment requirements

Requirements for enrolling a Chrome device are:

Only devices without an owner can be enrolled.

Only enterprise users can enroll the devices.

Enrollment Scenarios

There are four different types of enrollment scenarios. Choosing which one to use depends on what initiates the enrollment, if the user can avoid enrollment, and how authentication and authorization is to occur. The different types of enrollment scenarios are:

Manual enrollment

As the name suggests, enrollment is done manually on the login screen via the Ctrl+Alt+E shortcut. Users must authenticate using a username and password or can cancel the enrollment attempt and return to the login screen.

Re-enrollment

If a device is already enrolled, it needs to be enrolled again by navigating to Device Management > Chrome > Device Settings > Enrollment & Access from https://admin.google.com/. The authentication process is the same as in the manual enrollment case.

OEM-triggered enrollment

OEM-triggered enrollment occurs based on the special OEM manifest that device manufacturers provide. It indicates if the device should be enrolled or if enrollment is forced. The authentication process is the same as in the manual enrollment case.

Offline demo-mode enrollment

Intended for demo Chrome OS features, this enrollment does not require a network connection and enrolls devices to a fixed domain by using local resource policy. It is triggered during the initial setup using the Ctrl + Alt + D shortcut. This method does not require authentication.

How do you Enterprise Enroll Your Chromebook?

Enterprise Enrolling your Chromebook is a simple process. Chrome OS is a cloud-native operating system that simply requires an internet connection to an enterprise. To Enterprise Enroll it, follow these steps:

Connect to an enterprise wireless network. Chrome OS checks and applies the latest security patches and operating system updates set by the enterprise administrator.

Navigate to the Enterprise Enrollment screen in one of the following ways:

Click More options on the sign-in screen, and select Enterprise Enrollment.

Press Ctrl+ E to open the Enterprise Enrollment screen.

In a matter of seconds, your device is Enterprise Enrolled, unlocking Chrome enterprise policies and management capabilities. Now your Chromebook is a managed device, and the user is ready to sign in. To double-check if the Chrome device is Enterprise Enrolled, navigate to the Google Admin Console >> Devices >> Chrome devices tile and you should see your device count increase.

What Are the Benefits of Chromebook Enterprise Enrollment?

There are many benefits of Chromebook Enterprise Enrollment, but the ones that stand out are the ability to:

Manage Chrome device policies with ease.

As a Chromebook Enterprise administrator, you can set device-level policies, user-level policies, and application and extension policies for Chromebooks and other devices that are enrolled in your organization.

View and configure applications and extensions.

You can also view applications, add the desired applications, block applications and set policies for an application from the Google Admin console. Additionally, you can also install, block or set policies for extensions on enrolled devices with ease.

Update Chrome devices more easily.

Once your enterprise enrolls your devices, you can update the operating system of the devices in your organization. Chrome releases full OS updates every 6 weeks, and minor updates occur every 2-3 weeks. You can automatically update all the enrolled devices with ease.

Manage Chrome devices with Active Directory.

You can also integrate your enrolled Chromebooks with the Microsoft Active Directory server. You can use Windows Group Policy to manage integrated devices and push Active Directory policies to users and devices.

Restrict, allow or deny access to websites.

With enterprise enrollment, you can also allow or deny access to websites with ease, thus restricting and allowing users’ internet access. This helps increase productivity and protects your organization from viruses and malicious content.

Learn more about the partnership between Parallels® and Chrome Enterprise!

References:

Enterprise Enrollment on Chrome OS: https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src.git/+/master/docs/enterprise/enrollment.md

Manage Policies for Chrome Devices: https://support.google.com/chrome/a/topic/6274424?hl=en&ref_topic=4386913

Enroll Chromebooks on Enterprise Domain: https://cbookreviewguide.com/chromebook-blog/enroll-chromebooks-on-enterprise-domain/

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Windows 10 On Chromebook With Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise

Nicolette Carklin — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 08:01:00 +0000

Chromebooks have become increasingly popular with remote-first companies because they are portable, low-priced and have a super-fast sandboxed OS. However, unlike the Windows OS, you cannot install third-party software or legacy applications—all the applications you use must come from the Google Play Store or Chrome Web Store.

For some third-party applications, though, you can use online versions that are not as productive as their desktop counterparts. However, when it comes to the legacy line of Windows applications, you can’t use them—even with internet connectivity. For the first time, Parallels^® is enabling Windows 10 on Chrome, via its Parallels^® Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise.

What Is Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise?

Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise is yet another world’s first in desktop virtualization technology by Parallels, a global leader in cross-platform solutions. It allows a full version of Windows 10 to boot in a virtual machine (VM) on a Chromebook. Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise has been created in a collaboration between Google and Parallels. This partnership will help organizations run Windows 10 applications on new high-power Chromebooks coming to market.

With Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise you can run any Windows 10 application—including legacy software—alongside Chrome OS and Android applications. You can launch any Microsoft Office suite application, for example, while browsing on your favorite Chrome browser.

Likewise, you can drag and drop folders and files from Windows File Explorer to Chrome Local Explorer and vice versa. You can also swap between a Chrome OS and Windows 10 without rebooting your Chromebook and choose which applications you want to launch. Feature highlights for Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise include:

Seamless access to Windows users folders: Typically, Windows 10 user profiles and settings get stored in a local profile. Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise redirects your local profile to the Windows files section on the Chrome OS. By redirecting your local profile, Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise eliminates duplicate files within the Chromebook. It also allows you to access Windows 10 files even when the OS is offline.
Share any Chrome OS folder with Windows: You can select any folder (e.g. Downloads or Google Drive folder) in Chrome OS Files application and share it with Windows. Now you can open files in this folder with Windows application or save your Windows document in this folder.
Quick access to settings: The device bar has a robust menu that you can use to perform many useful tasks without digging around for specific applications. For example, you can use the device bar to access printers, keyboard shortcuts, and shared folders, among other things.
Ability to suspend and resume Windows 10 in seconds: Suspending Windows 10 is, in many ways, similar to closing the laptop’s lid, which moves it to sleeping mode. You can use the suspend/resume feature in Parallels Desktop for Chrome Enterprise to quickly start and stop Windows 10 instead of the time-consuming Windows shut down and boot features. And all your opened apps and documents will be waiting for you, without using CPU or memory.
Seamless switch between Chrome OS and Windows via mouse movements: To capture and direct the input to a VM, Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise grabs the mouse and keyboard so that all the mouse moves and keystrokes get to the VM. The process of switching from the host to the guest OS is simple. Any time you slide the mouse in a Windows 10 application, it captures the input in that application so long as the mouse is moving over its window. When the pointer moves outside the window, it automatically releases the input to Chrome OS.
Share network settings between Chrome OS and Windows: By default, Windows 10 shares network settings with Chrome OS. As such, Windows 10 applications can access other machines on the local network and internet via the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your Chromebook with ease. Shared networking is advantageous because it supports host proxy configurations and Windows Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) that offer enhanced security.
Reuse VMs created in Parallels Desktop for Mac: Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise allows IT administrators to move Windows 10 VMs to new Chromebooks seamlessly. When you purchase a new Chromebook, you don’t have to install the VM if you had previously created it on a Mac with Parallels Desktop for Mac—simply transfer the existing Windows 10 VM to your new Chromebook and get up and running.
Simplified provisioning and administration of Windows applications and desktops: Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise provides centralized deployment and management capabilities as it is integrated into Google Admin console. This allows IT administrators to streamline the delivery of Windows applications and desktops on Chromebooks. When users launch Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise from the OS Launcher, their VMs specified by IT admins get downloaded automatically, and they are ready to go.
Ability to share the host’s printer with Windows: With Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise, you can print from Windows 10 to any printer available on the Chrome OS without installing the drivers on the VM. By default, Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise configures a virtual serial port to communicate with Chrome OS printers.

What Are the Benefits of Using Windows 10 on Chromebook?

A Chromebook is a solid enterprise computer. And as remote working and schooling become the new norm, its growth prospects are even higher. But the truth is that running Windows 10 on Chromebook is still a compelling argument for businesses due to the following reasons:

Some applications don’t run in Chrome OS.

Users need to have fully functional devices in a digital workspace. As such, you must equip your laptops with enough applications, including ones for productivity, video editing, video playback and photo editing. For Windows PCs, this is possible. However, for Chrome OS, it’s still a work in progress.

Also, Chromebooks lack the wide range of enterprise-grade applications that you find in Windows. There are plenty of researchers, engineers and other specialists who find themselves locked to Windows because of certain industry-standard applications that you can’t get with Chrome applications.

It gives the ability to work offline.

Chrome OS and its applications rely heavily on a solid internet connection. While some applications do have offline capabilities, your Chromebook must be sanctioned by Google to work with Android applications. Also, offline applications often miss certain features, potentially leading to poor user experience. With Windows, you can do more, even while in offline mode. Running Windows 10 on Chromebooks would be a better alternative for employees with intermittent internet connectivity.

It enhances productivity.

For most businesses, Windows 10 is still the go-to OS when it comes to getting work done. Chromebooks, on the other hand, are portable, low-cost, and secure. When you integrate Windows 10 with Chrome OS, you get the best of both worlds, in terms of:

Time savings while transferring files. With a shared clipboard, you can directly copy and paste files from Chrome OS to Windows 10 and vice versa without performing any configurations.
Storage space savings. Chrome OS apps can directly access Windows user folders via a shared user profile redirected to the Chrome OS’s Windows file section. This doesn’t generate any duplicates. You can also access these files even when Windows is offline.
Flexibility when accessing Chrome OS folders from Windows. While in Windows, you can easily access the shared Chrome OS folders, including One Drive and Google Drive, and save Windows files in them.
Dynamic screen resolution. While in Windows, altering screen resolution is simple: just click and drag the window’s edge on Windows 10, and you’re set.
Ability to utilize full screen in Windows 10. Using an entire screen in Windows 10 is straightforward: you simply click on the maximize button in the window’s top-right corner. You can place the Windows 10 on a separate workspace and resume operations in Chrome OS via a single swipe.
Ability to open windows web links from any location. Deciding where you want Windows web links opened is up to you. You can open them in Chrome OS or use your favorite browser, such as Edge or Mozilla Firefox, to launch them.
Associating Windows apps to open on Chrome OS. Via Chrome OS’s “Open With” context menu, you can easily assign certain Windows apps to be the default programs for launching some file types.
Hassle-free printing. By sharing Chrome OS’s printers with Windows 10 and vice versa, you can flexibly use them without installing appropriate printer drivers.

References

The Verge|https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/31/21348963/google-chrome-os-windows-apps-chromebooks-features-interview

Parallels| https://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/chrome/

The post Windows 10 On Chromebook With Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise appeared first on Parallels Blog.

Chromebook Security: Learn the Basics and Guidelines to Secure Your Organization with Chromebook

Nicolette Carklin — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 07:04:00 +0000

Often associated with the education sector, Chromebooks actually make excellent business laptops. The main reason? They’re built to be secure. That means they’re good at protecting sensitive data. This is a must-have in today’s business environments that are besieged constantly with cyber threats.

Learn About Chromebook Security Features

Most regular laptops don’t have a lot of security out of the box. It’s usually the owner—or in the case of corporate laptops, IT— who adds security as an afterthought. Chromebooks are different. They’re all built with security features as part of their design process. Let’s discuss some of those security features now.

Smart and fast updates

Software and firmware updates are very important because they sometimes include security patches that eliminate known vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, a lot of users aren’t aware of this (or simply take it for granted), so they cancel updates as soon as they know one is underway. Chromebooks address this problem by running two partitions of Chrome OS, a primary and a backup, and then applying automatic updates to the backup.

When an automatic update is due (either every 6 weeks or anytime a critical security update is needed), it gets applied only to the backup. That way, the user can continue working uninterrupted while the update carries on in the background. On the next reboot, the backup becomes the primary (and vice versa), so the user ends up using a newly updated and more secure copy of the OS every time.

Sandboxing

To counter the threats of malware and malicious code, Chromebooks employ the concept of sandboxing. Sandboxing keeps applications and web pages in their own restricted environment or “sandbox”. That way, even if malware or malicious code is lurking in a particular web page, it will remain confined in that sandbox. And because it won’t be able to spread into other parts of the system, that threat will just dissipate the moment the tab running that page is closed.

Verified boot

Chromebooks check their own integrity the moment you switch them on. They do so through a process known as Verified Boot. Basically, upon boot up, Chromebooks check the digital signatures of various components of their systems. This includes their firmware, kernels, initial ramdisk (initrd), master boot records and so on.

Only if all signatures are verified will a boot be allowed to complete. If any malware or anything suspicious is detected during the verified boot process, the entire process is cancelled, and the device switches to recovery mode. Once a Chromebook enters recovery mode, the user will be prompted and then assisted through the rest of the recovery process.

Recovery Mode

Speaking of recovery mode, a Chromebook shifts into this mode automatically the moment it determines that both its system and the backup firmware/software are corrupt. Upon entering recovery mode, the device will ask for a recovery storage device (RSD). This is usually a USB stick or SD card with contents that were created by a recovery installer—a small program downloaded from a Google-hosted recovery website.

An RSD contains the following: a recovery kernel, a recovery root filesystem, a full Chromium OS kernel+rootfs, Chromium OS firmware and other recovery information. A device recovered from an RSD will be basically as good as new. Of course, all the user’s applications and data will be gone after recovery.

However, since all these digital assets are expected to have been synced to the Google Cloud (assuming synchronization was enabled), all the user must do is log in, and everything will be synchronized back onto the device.

Data Encryption

When a regular laptop is stolen, its data is immediately at risk. Even if the thief can’t gain access through the login screen, that thief can still retrieve data stored inside by simply booting the laptop through another operating system or extracting the hard disk and mounting it as a secondary disk on another device.

A stolen Chromebook is at less risk because most user data are stored in the cloud. However, it still holds certain information, like the user’s email, photos, HTTP cookies and browser cache files, which cyber-criminals can still use to acquire the user’s credentials if they can somehow retrieve them. That isn’t easy though. The techniques we mentioned earlier (i.e., booting from another OS or mounting the disk on another device) won’t work with a Chromebook because user data is protected with file-system-level encryption.

As a device built from the ground up with security in mind, the Chromebook is perfect for business environments, where data security is crucial. Still, there are ways to further improve the security of these devices.

Further Improve Chromebook Security

Despite all the built-in security features baked into Chromebooks, their security can be hardened even more. Here are some tips you can implement to further improve the security of your organization’s Chromebooks.

Use strong passwords and add two-factor authentication

Although certainly a very powerful security feature, encryption won’t be able to protect a user’s data if a cybercriminal somehow gets a hold of that user’s password or guesses it. Once the criminal manages to log in to that user’s Google account, the thief will be able to retrieve the user’s data.

To prevent this from happening, make sure users keep their passwords secret and follow strong password best practices, like using uppercase and lowercase characters, incorporating numbers and non-alphanumeric characters and making passwords at least 8 characters long (the longer the better).

Better yet, have users enable two-factor authentication (2FA). An authentication factor is something used to prove a user’s identity. It usually comes in either one of three forms:

Something a user knows, e.g., a password or PIN number
Something a user has, e.g., a phone or private key
Something a user is, e.g., a thumbprint or facial patterns

The use of two factors of authentication (or more) would make it more difficult for a criminal to impersonate a legitimate user. For example, you can use Google Authenticator or Authy alongside password authentication, so that even if a criminal guesses or obtains the password to a legitimate user’s account, the crook will still have to hurdle that second factor of authentication to log in.

Enable sleep locking

Passwords and 2FA are only deterrents if a threat actor has to go past them. There are, however, several instances when they’re not activated. For example, when a user closes the Chromebook lid and then reopens it shortly after, the login screen will be nowhere in sight. If that user leaves the room for a few minutes, that might be enough time for a threat actor to carry out an attack.

You can prevent this type of attack by enabling the Show Lock Screen When Waking From Sleep option in Settings > People > Screen Lock. This will lock the screen automatically and require a password each time the lid is opened after being closed for any amount of time.

There are a few other things you can do to improve the security of a Chromebook. Here are two examples.

Disable a stolen Chromebook

A Chrome Enterprise customer can disable a Chromebook if it gets lost or stolen. You can do that by signing in to the Google Admin console. From there, you can use a filter to select the current status of the device you want to disable, and then select the specific device to disable it. This will lock the Chromebook in question.

Block an extension

Another thing a Chrome Enterprise customer can do from the Google Admin console is manage a users’ installed extensions. If you see anything you view as a threat or something your users don’t really need for work, you can block that extension.

These are just some of the many security controls you can apply to mitigate risks on your own or your organization’s Chromebook(s).

Access Your Windows Applications Securely with Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise

While Chromebooks offer a secure and convenient way of using cloud-based applications, a lot of users still need access to certain proprietary and full-featured legacy applications. More specifically, a large majority of these users require access to full-featured Windows applications. Currently, this can be done through solutions like Parallels® Remote Application Server (RAS) and Parallels Access.

Both solutions enable users to access full-featured Windows applications through the internet. But what about users who prefer or need to access Windows applications on a Chromebook even without an internet connection? Businesses can now meet the needs of those users by switching to Parallels® Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise.

Parallels Desktop for Chromebook Enterprise makes it possible for IT administrators to run Windows virtual machines on Chromebooks. Once Parallels Desktop is installed on a Chromebook, users will be able to interact with their Chrome and Windows environments simultaneously. Certain folders in Windows, as well as the files stored in those folders, can be accessed from Chrome OS and vice versa.

Launching or re-launching Windows from Chrome OS is quick and easy and can be accomplished in just a few seconds. There’s no need to shut down or boot up. All users have to do is close Parallels Desktop window or start Parallels Desktop whenever they wish to suspend or resume work on their Windows environments.

Shifting between Windows and Chrome OS is seamless. Whenever the mouse pointer hovers above Windows, all mouse inputs are captured in Windows. As soon as the pointer is brought above Chrome OS, all inputs are in turn captured in Chrome OS. Printing is also straightforward. All Chrome OS printers are exposed to Windows as virtual printers, so Windows applications can use them for printing with ease.

All applications inside a Windows virtual machine share the same network connection as their Chrome OS host. The Windows guest OS won’t have its own IP address relative to the external network. Instead, it will function as a machine behind a virtual network address translation (NAT), which is great for security. Nevertheless, Windows applications will still be able to access the same network that the Chrome OS belongs to as well as the internet.

All this functionality provides great value from a security and productivity standpoint. Businesses who use Parallels for Chromebook Enterprise will benefit immensely from the security capabilities of Chromebooks without sacrificing the needs of employees who rely heavily on Windows applications to accomplish their tasks.

Find out more about the partnership between Parallels and Chrome Enterprise!

External references:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinmurnane/2019/04/21/a-chromebooks-superb-security-is-another-good-reason-to-leave-windows-10s-update-failures-behind

https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chromiumos-design-docs/recovery-mode

https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/chromiumos-design-docs/protecting-cached-user-data

https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/3438631?hl=en

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-help-make-your-chromebook-as-secure-as-possible-6-tips/

https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/3523633?hl=en

https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/9226555?hl=en

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