04/10, 8:00am
Chrome OS Aura drops pure web metaphor
Google's latest developer channel release for Chrome OS has revealed pressure to bring it back to more of a traditional desktop. A new window manager, Aura, now gives it a Windows-like taskbar ("shelf") and multiple windows, much like the conventional operating system it was hoping to avoid. A button on the taskbar now invokes a full-screen app launcher much like Apple's Launchpad in OS X Lion.
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12/20, 2:55pm
Samsung Aura R700
Samsung significantly expanded its Aura line of notebooks today with the advent of the R700. An international version of the Sens Q70, the 17-inch is aimed at desktop replacement users who still want a thin, stylized system. It measures just 1.17 inches thick but includes a baseline GeForce 8400M GS graphics chipset to drive HD playback; an HDMI output is standard for relaying video to a TV. A 1.3-megapixel webcam and a full-size keypad also separate the glossy black system from some other large notebooks.
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