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Google Is Planning a 'Pixel 3' Laptop Running 'Andromeda' OS For Release in Q3 2017 (androidpolice.com)

Posted by msmash on from the convergence dept.

Google plans to launch a laptop next year with Pixel branding which will run 'Andromeda' operating system, reports AndroidPolice, citing sources. Andromeda is a hybrid of Android and Chrome OS, the report adds. Pixel, Chrome OS and Android teams have been working on this project, dubbed Bison, for years, apparently. From the report: Bison is planned as an ultra-thin laptop with a 12.3" display, but Google also wants it to support a "tablet" mode. It's unclear to us if this means Bison will be a Lenovo Yoga-style convertible device, or a detachable like Microsoft's Surface Book, but I'm personally leaning on the former given how thin it is. Powering it will be either an Intel m3 or i5 Core processor with 32 or 128GB of storage and 8 or 16GB of RAM. This seems to suggest there will be two models. It will also feature a fingerprint scanner, two USB-C ports, a 3.5mm jack (!), a host of sensors, stylus support (a Wacom pen will be sold separately), stereo speakers, quad microphones, and a battery that will last around 10 hours. The keyboard will be backlit, and the glass trackpad will use haptic and force detection similar to the MacBook. Google plans to fit all of this in a form factor under 10mm in thickness, notably thinner than the aforementioned Apple ultraportable.The report, however, adds that it is likely that Google might revise the specifications by the time of its launch, which is slated to happen sometime in Q3 2017.

3 of 56 comments (clear)

  1. Crucial question by RandomSurfer314 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Can you easily remove this 'Andromeda' crap run an ordinary Linux distribution on it? Then it could be a really interesting machine.

  2. Reduced OS for short term gains. by jellomizer · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I would focus on getting such devices to run on full desktop OS's or we will get in the trouble that we had with windows 3.1-ME

    Where DOS and Windows Up to ME. Were designed for Low End Desktops while Unix/VMS/NT were designed for real computing. By the time 95 came out Desktop PC's were powerful enough to run the Big Boy OS's however we were stuck on the legacy systems for compatibility for over a decade.

    What really did the trick was the move to 64bit. And the rise of Web Applications, allowing a much smoother transition.

    But these OS's designed for mobile, will only get us in trouble once mobile devices are on par with our desktop systems.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  3. Unsaid by ThatsNotPudding · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The report, however, adds that it is likely that Google might revise the specifications by the time of its launch, which is slated to happen sometime in Q3 2017.

    The report, however, failed to add that it is likely that Google will grow bored of the project and abandon it and its' customers, which is slated to happen sometime in Q3 2018.