Chromebooks have become truly ubiquitous, as their form factor, simplicity and value have attracted casual users and professionals alike. With nearly 60% of the K-12 education market in the US, the Chromebook value proposition is resonating loudly with educators and administrators seeking to get more bang for their ever-dwindling buck.
KLIK has released KLIK Knkt for Chrome Version 1.1.0.1, which adds support for ARM-based Chromebooks. The new Chrome extension is available for immediate download from the Chrome Web Store and is offered at no cost. The extension adds wireless presentation capability to all Chromebooks, allowing them to stream content to the KLIK Boks wireless presentation system. The extension supports password access and integrates fully with KLIK Conference Mode, allowing admin control over presenters from a computer or with a KLIK REMOTE.
Additional Background on ARM Technology
Although the first crop of Chromebooks were built around Intel processors, a great many more models have shipped recently with MediaTek, Rockchip and and other processors. This latter group of chips are all based around the intellectual property of ARM Holdings, the UK company whose processor technology powers billions of devices from Chromebooks to Coffee Makers. ARM gets its name from the original form, Acorn RISC Machine, which gives us some insight into the company's origins and architectural foundation.
The acronym RISC stands for Reduced Instruction Set Computing, and defines the architecture of a variety of microprocessors that appeared in products as early as the 1980s. Conceived initially as simpler, less expensive alternatives to the processors used in the fledgling personal computer, RISC chips began to appear in all forms of devices, from calculators to industrial controllers.
By 1985, the Acorn Computer company, now called ARM, had developed their own microprocessor, using their exclusive design; the ARM2. Starting as a processor to use in their own brand of personal computers, the ARM has grown to be the most dominant MCU technology in use across billions of devices today. By 2009, ARM processors were turning up in the then-hot Netbook segment, competing directly with Intel for dominance in lightweight, portable computers.
ARM technology is is now taking a firm hold in the Chromebook market, for the same reasons that it has dominated other lightweight computing platforms; low cost, power efficiency and a massive supply chain. A perfect complement to the Chromebook philosophy of putting computing in the cloud, allowing client devices with relatively little power or storage to compete effectively with more traditional PC designs.
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