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Chrome OS Is Almost Ready To Replace Android On Tablets (theverge.com)

Several news features rolling out to Chromebooks paint a picture of the future of Chrome OS as the rightful replacement for Android tablet software. Those include a new split-screen feature for multitasking while in tablet mode, and a screenshot feature borrowed from Android. The Verge reports: As it stands now, Chrome OS is very close to taking up the mantle there, and features like this push it ever closer to becoming the hybrid OS for all types of Google-powered screens. This has been in the works for quite a while as Google's Chrome and Android teams have coordinated closely to ensure the influx of low-cost, hybrid computing devices like 2-in-1 Chromebooks get the best of both worlds. There is, of course, Android app compatibility on Chrome OS, an initiative that first arrived somewhat half-baked last year and has taken months to fully jell as Google worked out the kinks. For instance, just last month Google added the ability for Android apps on Chromebooks run in the background. In July of last year, Google also began embarking on a touch-focused redesign of Chrome OS to make the software more functional in tablet mode. We're likely not getting the full-blown merging of the two divisions and their respective platforms anytime soon, or perhaps ever, as Google has played with the idea for years without ever seeming to decide that one platform should supersede the other. In essence, however, Android remains Google's dominant mobile OS, while Chrome OS has been taking on more responsibility as Chromebooks have steadily become more capable and tablet-like.

10 of 61 comments (clear)

  1. Re:It seems that... by blahbooboo · · Score: 3, Funny

    the year of Chrome OS on the desktop is cumming in the near future.

    Interesting typo... The word is "coming", "cumming" means something completely different.

  2. Re:Why Chrome OS when Fuchsia is the future? by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Chrome OS is a real, shipping, product. Fuchsia will be ready in 1, 2, or 5 years?

    Google wants to gain momentum in the education market; Fuchsia would miss that window. My niece recently graduated from year 6 to high school. She attends a boutique K-12 private school where in earlier years every kid had an iPad but now her cashed-strapped parents must buy her a Macbook. Chrome OS running Android apps offers the best (worst?!) of both worlds on a single device.

  3. TFS belies TFH (The Fucking Headline) by thomst · · Score: 2

    The headline claims "Chrome OS Is Almost Ready To Replace Android On Tablets," while TFS (which is itself apparently a quote of The Verge's story) says, "In essence, however, Android remains Google's dominant mobile OS, while Chrome OS has been taking on more responsibility as Chromebooks have steadily become more capable and tablet-like."

    So the story contradicts the headline, which means the headline is pure ...

    ... clickbait.

    --
    Check out my novel.
  4. Bastardizing the GNU by eclectro · · Score: 2

    So they are using the Linux Kernel, but yet their license looks nothing like the GNU license?

    If I wanted to be locked-in with an OS and other services, I'd buy Apple products. They do a much better job it seems and are not a search company trying to get all my data so they can mine personal information about me then sell it.

    --
    Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
    1. Re:Bastardizing the GNU by farble1670 · · Score: 2

      So they are using the Linux Kernel, but yet their license looks nothing like the GNU license?

      That comment makes me wonder if you understand how software licensing works at all. They are following all the rules that allow them to make use of the GPL. How is that "bastardizing" GNU? It's exactly the opposite of that actually.

      If I wanted to be locked-in with an OS and other services, I'd buy Apple products.

      What does that it even mean? Locked into an OS? You're locked in to ChromeOS just as much as you are if you start learning and accumulating software for any OS.

      I'd buy Apple products

      Based on your rantings (trolling) I'd have to assume you are pro-OSS. Most of ChromeOS is open source. Go download the MacOS kernel. Let me know how that goes.

      are not a search company trying to get all my data so they can mine personal information about me then sell it.

      From the mouths of babes.

  5. Screenshot! by farble1670 · · Score: 4, Funny

    and a screenshot feature borrowed from Android

    OMFG the screenshot feature is ready? Ship it!

  6. Re:ChromeOS, Androind, Linux. Lah de dah. by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 3, Informative

    I cannot just run any Linux software on a tablet (e.g. GIMP). Being based on linux is no more interesting than being based on electricity.

    Sure you can.

    There are various apps you can use (I use one called "Linux Deploy") that let you run a full Linux install in a "VM"-type arrangement on your Android tablet.

    I can install a full Linux setup with a KDE or Ubuntu desktop, and get near-native performance. And run it either full-screen, or in an Android-type window.

    You would need a big SD card if you're going to install a lot of apps, but big SD cards are available.

  7. Re:ChromeOS, Androind, Linux. Lah de dah. by serviscope_minor · · Score: 4, Informative

    Linux is Almost Ready to Replace Linux On Tablets.

    And this is why people really hate RMS: because the bastard is far too often right.

    He warned about this decades ago with the whole GNU/Linux thing and lots of people pokled fun and/or claimed he was trying to take credit. He always said it was to abvoid PRECISELY this kind of confusion.

    --
    SJW n. One who posts facts.
  8. Re:It seems that... by bornroot · · Score: 3, Funny

    Interesting typo... The word is "coming", "cumming" means something completely different.

    He was using the new split-screen feature, writing in one window, doing something else in the other.

  9. This is fair by jareth-0205 · · Score: 2

    Having got a Pixelbook to replace my Pixel C, I think this will probably happen. Android has never been ideal on a tablet mostly because the apps haven't taken full advantage of the space. Also the larger screen leads to more web-use, and Android Chrome is quite limiting compared to the desktop version.

    Android apps on ChromeOS fill in the most obvious deficiencies of ChromeOS, ie the lack of decent touch support (try using web Google Sheets with a touch screen, without scroll-flinging it is very odd), and offline support (apps are much more often built to handle intermittent network). It's a strange device, I'll say that, but much more capable than a pure Android tablet.