While Google asserts Chrome OS isn't being killed, the merged operating system is rumoured to be released in 2017.
Published: Sat 7 Nov 2015, 8:59 PM
- By
- The Christian Science Monitor
Android, Google's operating system for mobile phones and tablets, and Chrome OS, its operating system for laptop computers, will soon be merged into one piece of software, according to The Wall Street Journal. Two people familiar with the matter told the Journal that Google engineers have been working on combining the operating systems since 2013, and that the company might show off an early version of the new OS next year.
ANDROID
> Android is a mobile operating sys-tem (OS) launched in October 2003 by Google.
> It was initially developed by Android Inc., which Google bought in 2005.
> Android OS is designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
> Android dominates the smartphone market with a share of more than 82%
> There are 1 billion android users.
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Android is far and away the most popular mobile operating system, and in fact, it's the dominant OS of any kind worldwide. Research firm Gartner reported in January that 1.1 billion Android devices were shipped in 2014 - almost as many as iOS phones and tablets, Mac and Windows computers, and all other devices combined.
By contrast, Chrome OS accounted for about five percent of laptop sales in 2014, and while top-shelf Chrome OS computers such as the Chromebook Pixel exist, most of those sales were sub-$300 models.
Google's approach to combining the operating systems is essentially to fold Chrome OS in to Android. But that's no small task.
Android needs to be modified so that it can run smoothly on laptop and desktop computers, which means supporting keyboard and mouse input, allowing for much larger displays, and letting the system take advantage of high-end graphics cards. Apps sold through the Google Play Store would also need to be able to run on computers.
In the long term, however, combining Android and Chrome OS into a single operating system will make things simpler for Google, because the company won't have to support and develop two different software platforms. It should also make things easier for users, since they'll be able to use a single operating system across phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops. That's the route Microsoft started down with Windows 8 and continued in Windows 10, which employs "universal apps" that run on tiny phone screens and brawny desktop PCs alike.
GOOGLE CHROME
> Google Chrome was launched in September 2008.
> Google Chrome OS is the Google product that OEMs ship on Chrome-books for general consumer use.
> Google Chrome OS runs on specially optimised hardware in order to get enhanced performance and security.
> Chrome's share of Web traffic across the world rose to 30%
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Anonymous Google spokespeople told the Journal and tech site The Verge that Chrome OS isn't being "killed", and that the company will continue to manufacture laptops, though those machines will probably have a different name once the software merge happens.
On Friday, Hiroshi Lockheimer, senior VP of Android and Chrome OS at Google's parent company Alphabet, tweeted: "There's a ton of momentum for Chromebooks and we are very committed to Chrome OS. I just bought two for my kids for schoolwork!"
That means that Chrome OS features probably won't disappear entirely as the software is folded in to Android - instead, Google will try to combine the strengths of both operating systems to create something that's reasonably pleasant to use no matter what size screen you're on.
The Verge said it has independently confirmed that Chrome OS and Android will combine, with a preview likely to be demonstrated at Google I/O next year. The move marks an effort at Google to reduce the number of independent platforms it has to maintain, it said.
The Verge said the new operating system is expected to be released sometime in 2017. While this is a major and somewhat surprising move - Chromebooks have been fairly successful and are a great low-cost computer option - it's easy to see how Google got here. Sundar Pichai, who's now leading Google, was put in charge of both Chrome and Android two years ago, and he's made moves to bring the two operating systems closer in that time. That includes adding support for Android apps inside of Chrome OS. Though support is still limited, some Android apps are up and running on Chromebooks. Google also revealed a convertible Android laptop last month, called the Pixel C. Now, it seems like that's just an early sign of what's to come, The Verge added.
© 2015 The Christian Science Monitor
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