So you can have your local files under one tab and your Google Drive library in another. The file manager integrates natively with cloud services. There are a few other Chrome OS features I’ve grown accustomed to as well.

Chrome OS still has a handful of glaring shortcomings Google needs to soon address. Otherwise, you have the option to switch them off. Android and Linux apps are there when you need them. Chromebooks won’t force you to go through a steep learning curve. One of the highlights of Chrome OS for me is that Google has built a desktop platform and appended tablet capabilities over that instead of the other way around. With these additions, Google has nearly blurred the lines that earlier separated Chrome OS from the desktop operating systems that people have known since forever. Even if you’re in the tablet mode, you can pin two windows side-by-side and operate on them in parallel.

On top of that, Google has brought Linux support, enabling developers to take advantage of a traditional terminal and tools. Today, Chrome OS can run most Android apps and multitask between them and regular Chrome windows. After countless updates, I’m glad to report it’s now at a stage where I can employ it for ten hours a day and don’t feel the need to reach out for a Mac. More importantly, Chrome OS has evolved far beyond what it originally set out to be and has come a long way itself. I can barely remember the last time I used my computer without an internet connection. Most of our lives and work are deeply reliant on the web, and Chromebooks are the ideal machines for that. But while Chromebooks still don’t have the same collection of desktop-grade apps or features as Windows or macOS, that honestly doesn’t matter anymore for the majority of people. It’s easy to dismiss Chrome OS due to its upfront limitations. Of my MacBook’s 128GB storage, I had only consumed 40 gigs. Except for Finder and Google Chrome itself, all the apps on my MacBook’s dock were progressive web apps. I stream music on YouTube Music (which doesn’t have a native desktop app), write on Google Docs, and binge-watch shows on Netflix. I was able to put the skepticism to rest when I considered my workflow. A Chromebook has served me well for years as a secondary computer and tablet, but was it powerful enough for me to take to work every day? Will its restrictions force me to adjust and hamper my productivity?

After all, macOS and Chrome OS are still vastly divergent operating systems. Chrome OS has evolved far beyond what it originally set out to be and has come a long way itself.

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