Google will kill off ChromeOS

[GoodBytes]

After trying to push low cost systems that could essentially only run a base OS that could only run Chrome web browser, and trying to push ChromeOS via an overlay system to Windows 8 users (forcing a false increase in marketshare), it never got popularity it wanted. It could not compete against Windows powered system costing about the same, with similar hardware, as Windows allowed more flexibility to the user than ChromeOS. IDC reported that Chromebooks only peeks less than 3% market share.

According to the The Wall Street Journal, Google will soon kill off ChromeOS. It is reported that Google will instead merge ChromeOS elements into Android operating system, turning Android into this hybrid OS similar to Windows 10. Where you have this OS that adapts itself to tablets and phones, and now laptops that can run the OS, giving laptop users running Android a better keyboard/mouse experience, and run Android apps for that added experience.

This new hybrid like Android OS is expected to be released sometimes in 2017.

Source: http://www.wsj.com/article_email/alphabets-google-to-fold-chrome-operating-system-into-android-1446151134-lMyQjAxMTA1NzIxOTAyMzk4Wj?alg=y

It looks like Google agrees with Microsoft, that 1 OS for multiple platform is a better approach.

If it works out, we have to see if Apple will join. Would they make iMacs runs iOS? Or instead make iPad run MacOS.

[KraftDinner]

No, not our beloved android ;(

[Aytex]

They should put android marshmallow on lpatops

[Captain_Slow]

hmm I actually liked my chromebook

 

but i'll admit I'd probably prefer a proper desktop skin for android instead of chrome OS

[ZetZet]

Thank you google for recognizing your mistakes sometimes.

[manikyath]

like, everyone is gonna rant about "ohgod android hybrid this that"

 

this is what ubuntu wants to reach with ubuntu phone. and no matter how big canonical is in the linux world, google has more resources to do it better.

 

if 5-10 years after 2017 i can buy a phone that i can drop in a dock at home, immediately connecting to multi-monitor displays, keyboard and mouse, then pick up the phone, use it as a phone before sliding it into a laptop body to use it as a laptop.

 

YES PLEASE! this is productivity gold.

[ZetZet]

if 5-10 years after 2017 i can buy a phone that i can drop in a dock at home, immediately connecting to multi-monitor displays, keyboard and mouse, then pick up the phone, use it as a phone before sliding it into a laptop body to use it as a laptop.

 

YES PLEASE! this is productivity gold.

windows phone 10 does that

[escape093]

Alphabet’s Google to Fold Chrome Operating System Into Android

 

Reading this headline just doesn't feel right at all.

[Mo5]

windows phone 10 does that

sadly no one cares for Windows phone

[wyattzx]

Honestly I'm not surprised. If anything, ChromeOS just needs better integration with Android. This is less them abandoning ChomeOS, and more re-thinking their approach. 

[Tedster]

I own a first-generation Samsung Chromebook and I can say that two-thirds of its terribleness is from the hardware being so terrible, and then the last third is the lack of some features I would want to use that simply aren't there in Chrome OS.

 

It's kinda sad to see Google kill it off but I guess it makes a lot of sense.

[ZetZet]

sadly no one cares for Windows phone

well it's not really out yet. it's "out" but not out.

[manikyath]

windows phone 10 does that

hows the mobile experience with windows phone 10 tho? the little time i spent with windows phone was god awful terrible.

[ZetZet]

hows the mobile experience with windows phone 10 tho? the little time i spent with windows phone was god awful terrible.

 

well it's not really out yet. it's "out" but not out.

[cesrai]

hows the mobile experience with windows phone 10 tho? the little time i spent with windows phone was god awful terrible.

Give it a try it got much much better.

[GoodBytes]

hows the mobile experience with windows phone 10 tho? the little time i spent with windows phone was god awful terrible.

Windows 10 Mobile is massively improved over Windows Phone 7/8. It looks and feels (based form what I can see and read from users) a far more mature OS. You obviously will never have the customization of Android. Much like Windows, it doesn't try to be Linux, but rather a middle ground OS between MacOS and Linux based OS. It's biggest issues right now is lack of Apps. We have to wait and see with Universal Apps, if that will anything, and Microsoft's Project Astoria (port Android apps to Windows Phone with little coding changes needed... at least for apps (games probably needs big changes, and obviously you want a proper port for proper performance)).

All I know if that, Windows 10 Mobile is being talked about by developers. It's not in their considerations, but talked about, which is HUGE because it used to be completely ignored, and possibly laugh at. I think the idea of making an app allowing users to run their app not only their phone but laptop, desktop, and tablets as well is starting to be interesting. If market share increases more with Windows 10 Mobile, we might start to see more dev interests. We might start seeing more apps, but definitely not to the caliber of features and polish of Android and iOS in a year or two, but at least it would be a big stepping stone. But hopefully we start seeing ports for the platform for those interested in the platform.

But currently, if you need apps, if you expect the best app experience, Windows 10 Mobile will not be for you for a while. If you see your smartphone as a phone first, and are happy with the current set of features of the OS and built-in apps, then it should be a good OS, and great one in the future with future updates. The only up side it has in terms of lack of apps, is that it has Edge web browser, which should give you the same experience as on Windows 10, in terms of visiting websites, which should be a big up side as an alternative solution from the lack of apps. Some big apps like Facebook and Facebook messenger are coming to Windows 10 Mobile, so there is that that could be interesting if you only need the pure basic apps. (Netflix, VLC and a few others are already there. I think Twitter as well).

[SuperfastJellyfish]

 It could not compete against Windows powered system costing about the same, with similar hardware

 

You realise that Windows powered systems of the same price point as Chromebooks are the equivalent of the cheap Android phones that you deplore so constantly in uselessness because they can't run a desktop OS at a satisfactory level? They're equally if not more useless than Chromebooks because they don't actually have the power to substantiate a fully fledged OS. Chrome do what they're intended to do extremely well, Cheap Windows laptop don't

 

If it works out, we have to see if Apple will join. Would they make iMacs runs iOS? Or instead make iPad run MacOS.

 

Apple is more intelligent than this.

[iamdarkyoshi]

They should put android marshmallow on lpatops

You can run an android emulator. My dad had one on his work laptop and it "booted" in like one second

[TopWargamer]

I'm actually really glad that Google is doing this. IMO Chrome OS was and always will be a stupid idea and OS. It's severely limited in what you can do, and the few things you can do you have to be connected to the Internet (most of the time) to use applications. Chromebooks had great prices, but not a good OS to back them up. 

 

Very excited to see the Chrome OS/Android hybrid though. So long as it can run Android apps and scale them properly to a laptop, it should be a worthy competitor! 

[GoodBytes]

You realise that Windows powered systems of the same price point as Chromebooks are the equivalent of the cheap Android phones that you deplore so constantly in uselessness because they can't run a desktop OS at a satisfactory level? They're equally if not more useless than Chromebooks because they don't actually have the power to substantiate a fully fledged OS. Chrome do what they're intended to do extremely well, Cheap Windows laptop don't

It won't run Crysis, but it will run fine your web browser (probably not Chrome, but Firefox yes), Paint.NET (and the likes), universal apps, your music player of choice, and Office just fine. iTunes might take a bit of time to load though, but that is iTunes. Its better that it takes time to startup, and have something, than have nothing at all.

[AlexGoesHigh]

You realise that Windows powered systems of the same price point as Chromebooks are the equivalent of the cheap Android phones that you deplore so constantly in uselessness because they can't run a desktop OS at a satisfactory level? They're equally if not more useless than Chromebooks because they don't actually have the power to substantiate a fully fledged OS. Chrome do what they're intended to do extremely well, Cheap Windows laptop don't

 

 

Apple is more intelligent than this.

Whit current Intel hardware, not so much, right now there are low end hardware that can run modern Window perfectly fine, anything that's isn't more demanding that severe layers on photoshop runs fine, granted not smooth but workable, your more actually limited by storage that CPU power these days. lots mini/stick pc's that either use shitty magnetic storage or low amounts of eMMC (like 32GB) but that tradeoff comes with adequate CPU power, current gen atoms are really good given how shit they were during the dark days of shitty ass netbooks. Besides AFAIK i have heard most ARM based chromebooks are shit, there are expections but most them are, which is what the super cheap one are using.

 

As for Apple not so much as you think, their are sort of already doing that if you look at tvOS and watchOS, its pretty obvious that it is iOS but with different graphic shells tailored for their respective screen, and a few changes to the back end, mostly removing/adding code as they see fit for the purpose of the hardware, but those OS despite having different names there not something fully made from scratch.

[TopWargamer]

You can run an android emulator. My dad had one on his work laptop and it "booted" in like one second

That's very inefficient and performance won't be as good as if it were natively running.

 

You can install Android natively on desktops and laptops. There's a few projects dedicated to it, but the most popular one that I know of is called Android x86.

http://www.android-x86.org/

[CommandMan7]

So obviously google decided that they had already hit the upper limit of fragmenting their OS on the mobile platform, so now they feel compelled to fragment into entirely new markets. I don't get it.

[LAwLz]

Seems like a good move for everyone. Google gets one less OS to maintain and users of the current ChromeOS gets more features (such as support for Android apps).

Right now there isn't much point in getting a Chromebook since Microsoft also entered the super-cheap laptop space with help from for example HP. With this move though, Chromebooks might get a lot closer in term of functionality.

[spartaman64]

It won't run Crysis, but it will run fine your web browser (probably not Chrome, but Firefox yes), Paint.NET (and the likes), universal apps, your music player of choice, and Office just fine. iTunes might take a bit of time to load though, but that is iTunes. Its better that it takes time to startup, and have something, than have nothing at all.

windows will probably use too much resources and cause everything to lag