Chromebooks have become a trusty companion in a post-COVID world, but the lack of Windows 10 on the device makes it tricky to run specific programs on it. However, that's soon to change as Chromebooks can now run Windows 10 in a virtual machine.

Windows 10 Arrives on the Chromebook

This feature is brought to us by Parallels. Parallels has teamed up with Chrome to offer a way for Chromebook users to boot up Windows 10 on their devices.

To do this, the Chromebook uses a virtual machine that runs within Chrome OS. This means you can run Windows 10 apps alongside your Chrome OS ones to get the best of both worlds.

There are a few hurdles you need to jump over to get it to work, however. First of all, you need to be using a Chromebook that's enrolled with an enterprise for business purposes. People with personal Chromebooks won't be able to get this feature.

Second, you can't just install this feature and use Windows 10 right-away. You require a valid Windows 10 key to use this feature, so you'll need to either dig out your old keys or purchase a new one.

The Pressure on Chromebooks in a Pandemic

With everyone now working and studying at home more than ever before, there's been a lot of pressure on laptop manufacturers to create the perfect work-at-home device. Everyone wants to corner the market as much as possible to ensure their products become the standard in homes around the world.

For example, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Microsoft released its cheapest Surface laptop yet. You can tell from the specifications that it's made for work only, given its low storage space. Microsoft also discusses the laptop's space in a work-from-home environment in its release post.

We can speculate that this move by Chrome and Parallels is to encourage businesses to use Chromebooks for business work. To support remote work, companies will ask their employees to install certain programs, some of which may not work on a Chromebook. In such a case, people would be more interested in Windows-based laptops than a Chromebook.

However, with this new update, Chrome is likely attempting to allow employees to run their much-needed software within the Chrome OS ecosystem.

A New Era for Chromebooks?

With laptop manufacturers vying for everyone's attention, Chrome's latest move is to allow Windows 10 to run in a virtual machine within Chrome OS. However, will this be enough for businesses to adopt the Chromebook as a work-from-home staple?

If you want to give Chromebooks a try, but you're not sure where to start, don't worry. There are plenty of essential tips and tricks you can learn to get started with one rightaway.

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