The end of the humble Chromebook may just be near, or is it? Chromebooks -- perhaps the one and only high-profile nest for Google's in-house Chrome OS -- may be on their way out, and Android OS has got a lot to do with it. A new report suggests that Google is planning to go all out for Android laptops and PCs, over Chromebooks (that run Chrome OS). Apparently, the Pixel C is in fact the first signs for the things to come.
"Starting next year, the company will work with partners to build personal computers that run on Android," says Recode , citing industry sources. But, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Google's switch to Android as a more preferred platform to run its upcoming laptops will see Chromebooks facing the heat in the longer run. Survival of the fittest, anyone?
It's not that Google's fascination with Android is new. It is after all its OS supreme when it comes to mobile computing, something that is growing stronger each day. And, Google under newly appointed CEO Sundar Pichai is all about embracing that change. It has to adapt, and it has to do so with immediate effect. And if Google's past track record is to be gone by, the company doesn't mind scrapping an odd project or two if these don't meet its numbers.
The report adds that the Chrome browser and Chrome OS will not die, but the same cannot be said about Chromebooks.
Google is planning a major reshuffle which will see the company merging Android and Chome OS into one stand-alone OS sometime in 2017, suggests a Wall Street Journal Report .
So, when SVP Android, Chromecast and Chrome OS at Google, Hiroshi Lockheimer (who is successor to CEO Sundar Pichai) says that "there's still a ton of momentum for Chromebooks and we are very committed to Chrome OS. I just bought two for my kids for schoolwork!" we are not sure how long that momentum would last.
Android is in every nook and corner. And, when Google gives OEMs (and app developers) an option to use it in full blow across its laptops and PCs, things may not be so rosy for Chrome OS, even if it is an alternative they have.
Chromebooks only account for less than 3% of PCs sold worldwide according to an IDC survey. Developers in that case will surely want to cash in on an OS that is a crowd puller and a money maker.
Google cannot entirely kill Chrome OS (and Chromebooks for that matter) if you look at it practically. Android -- as popular as it may be -- still suffers from nagging security issues since it has to go to carriers and device makers to push out updates at the end of the day. Chrome OS in practice is more secure and reliable. So, there are chances that Google may not completely ditch Chrome OS, albeit slim these chances are. Maybe after the transition, we may see Chromebooks with a different name or something. You never know.
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