Chrome OS Releasing on Netbooks This Summer; Here Are Its New Features

Google's  releasing their Chrome OS-clad netbooks, called "Chromebooks", this summer , and they're bringing a few new ...

Google's releasing their Chrome OS-clad netbooks, called "Chromebooks", this summer, and they're bringing a few new features to the platform.
The new Chromebooks will have a better file browser, a new media player, and offline access for Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Docs.

Here's how some of the new features will work (click on any of the images below to get a closer look):

The New File Manager

The new File manager will open files in the correct webapp when you double-click on them. When a webapp is "installed" through the Chrome Web Store, it registers file types that it handles so your Chromebook knows how to open them.

The Local Media Player

The new media player can skip tracks, pause, and create playlists. The video player opens videos in a panel that hovers over your Chrome window, so you can watch and work at the same time. You can, of course, full screen it if you're just watching.

Offline Webapps

Lastly, Google will soon be adding Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Docs to the plethora of webapps on the Web Store that work offline (in the wake of Google Gears' death).

The new Chromebooks was released on June, while offline access for Gmail, Calendar, and Docs will roll out "this summer". Oh, and they'll also be "jailbreakable" out of the box for tinkerers.