

That said, it works well and is tremendously popular. It’s not the most business-like of applications. Google Hangouts is part-Skype, part-WhatsApp, part-Facebook Messenger, placing emphasis very much on the social aspect of instant messaging. Let’s take a look at the contenders, starting with Google’s own offering.

#LYNC APP DOESN'T WORK FOR CHROME MAC SOFTWARE#
There are, however, several cloud-based online meeting/screen share alternatives that do work well on Chrome OS, without the need for software downloads. Chrome does offer a web-based application for the former, but it’s buggy and more tailored towards one-to-one conversations than full-on collaborative screen share sessions involving multiple participants. Where online meetings are concerned, this means no access to popular programs such as Skype for Business (formerly Microsoft Lync) and Zoom. If you’re a lifelong Windows or Mac user, this can be a deal breaker.
#LYNC APP DOESN'T WORK FOR CHROME MAC INSTALL#
Chromebooks are the perfect travel companion and offer businesses an affordable IT solution for staff, with little in the way of maintenance costs.īut… And this is a rather large but, for all their greatness (we’d happily recommend Chrome OS for all web applications) you can’t install anything on a Chromebook.Ĭhrome OS does support external storage hardware, but as for the system itself, it’s not possible to install commonly used the software. More and more people are turning to Chromebooks and their desktop counterpart, the Chromebox, in favour of Windows and Macs, for their low price, lightweight, minimalist design, portability and ease of use. In fact, not only is Chrome OS a threat to Windows and Apple’s OS X, but Chromebooks outsold Macs in the US for the first time in 2016, providing a much-needed boost to the PC market. Would an operating system that is primarily web-based be any good? Relying on internet access to run the majority of applications hardly seemed practical, especially when dependable WiFi was hard to find.įast forward to now, however, in a world of high-speed broadband and easily accessible public WiFi, and Chromebooks and Chrome OS are a force to be reckoned with. When Google unveiled its Chromebook in 2011, it was met with skepticism.
