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8 Things You Might Not Know About Chromebooks

Author: Cameron Summerson / Source: howtogeek.com

Chromebooks have come a long way since the original Cr-48 back in 2010, and are now more powerful (and mainstream) than ever. If you’re curious about Google’s web-centric operating system, here are some things you may not know.

Chrome OS is Based on Linux

Linux is an open source operating system that anyone can be download, modify, and use to build their own distribution.

That’s exactly what Google did with Chrome OS by using the Linux kernel and building around it. This technically makes Chrome OS a Google-branded Linux distribution, much like Android.

This is also how Chromebooks are able to natively run Linux applications.

Chromebooks Are Inherently Secure and Have No Viruses

Security is one of the biggest selling points of most Chromebooks. They are very secure and aren’t susceptible to any known viruses. This is because each web page and Chrome app runs inside its own virtual “sandbox,” meaning other aspects of the computer can’t be compromised by a single infected page. And as soon as the problem page is closed, the threat is destroyed.

Your Data is Always Backed Up

Chrome OS is a cloud-focused operating system, and since it’s a Google product, its primary storage is Google Drive. That means everything you store inside these Drive folders is automatically synced with the cloud.

Not only that, but all of your Chrome settings, extensions, passwords, and pretty much everything else is also synced with the cloud.

All your stuff is backed up, all the time.

The one exception here is, of course, the Chromebook’s local storage. If you store files locally instead of in Drive, those aren’t backed up. Everything else is, though.