[Update: New video] Here’s what virtual desktops on Chromebooks may look like ~ XDA

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

[Update: New video] Here’s what virtual desktops on Chromebooks may look like

Update (4/30/19 @ 9:20 AM ET): The Chromium team has posted a new video showing off their latest work on virtual desktops in Chrome OS (below).

Chrome OS has come a long way over the years, but it still lacks some features that hold it back from being a no-sacrifices desktop OS. One such feature that you’ll find on Windows, Linux, and Mac PCs is the ability to have multiple “virtual” desktops. This allows the user to organize their open windows and apps into separate workspaces. Google is finally getting around to adding this functionality to Chrome OS under the tentative name “Virtual Desks.”

Back in November, a Product Manager for Chrome OS confirmed the feature was “on the roadmap,” but didn’t give any specific details. Now, thanks to a commit posted to Chromium Gerrit, we can see the feature is in development. Titled “Virtual Desks 1: Initial scaffolding,” the commit mentions a “new desk” button and thumbnail previews that will be displayed in a navigation bar.

We can actually see the early work in action thanks to a video posted (above) to a Chromium bug. The current workspace (the Chrome window) shrinks and a bar comes down from the top of the screen with the “New Desk” button. The button doesn’t do anything yet but it shows their progress so far. The UI could look very different when it makes its way to the stable channel.

Chrome OS continues to mature as a full-fledged desktop OS. Virtual desktops is a feature that power users have come to rely on. Hopefully, Google’s implementation will improve multitasking and workflow. We still likely have a while to wait before the feature even hits the Canary channel.

Via: 9to5Google

Update: New video

This new video shows off the progress that has been made on virtual desktops in Chrome OS. As with the previous video, this is still not a finished products. The team notes that there is no desktop switch animation or mini view content yet. Check out the progress in action in the video below.