Chrome OS 64 is becoming more optimized for desktop use with the activation of Parallel Apps feature in beta status, allowing Android apps to continue running in the background.
The upcoming feature, currently on public testing phase, will make Google's Chrome OS behave in nearly the same way as that of its closest competitors — Microsoft's Windows and Apple's MacOS. With Android Parallel Apps, users can readily return to active tasks and find them still hard at work. Apps frozen when last focused on by users will become obsolete real soon.
The same powerful feature will enable pausing or even killing of running tasks with a simple click, teasing of greater amount of user control that Google plans to unpack when Chrome OS 64 goes live.
Productivity In Desktop Level
More important, parallel tasks will mean "a higher level of visibility" for users of the Chromebook system when the OS starts rolling out. Gone will be the days of losing track of running applications and the likelihood of missing real-time updates for data-extensive apps. The plan, it seems, is to soon trigger the eventual transition of Chrome OS from mobile to desktop setting.
Indeed, the beta OS feature, when greenlighted, will thrust Chrome OS to the big league and possibly compete in equal terms with the Windows and MacOS environments. Granted it gets activated, Parallel Apps will make it unnecessary to freeze running applications, a power-saving feature that delivers benefits when using portable devices.
"Parallel Tasks on Android allow the OS to keep everything running and open until you pause the activity or close the app down," a report said, touching on the immediate gains that Chromebook users stand to get from the planned feature step-up.
One Less Nuisance
A Chrome OS that permits running tasks will eliminate a key issue of the operating system and render it more desktop-friendly. For instance, users will find that computing tasks they want to run at all times will remain so, thanks to Android Parallel Apps. In essence, the feature will prevent important applications from entering into a state of "suspended animation" even when users decide to start working on a new window.
Once the Chrome OS upgrade takes effect, it will make "Android apps on Chrome feel less like a tacked-on feature, and more like a familiar and native aspect of the overall experience," a report said. This is in line with Google's vision of creating a seamless user experience between its mobile and desktop platforms.
However, there is no solid guarantee that Parallel Apps will make it to the final cut of Chrome OS 64. The reality remains that the feature is in beta, which by itself indicates that release version of the operating system will likely not include the OS function.
