SoylentNews

DannyB [soylentnews.org] writes:

Here's what I'll miss about Chrome OS once it turns into Android [androidauthority.com]

[...] Chrome OS [androidauthority.com] has an expiration date. It’s not right around the corner — it’ll probably take a couple of years, but one day, all Chromebooks will run Android over Chrome OS [androidauthority.com] so that Google can better compete with Apple.

While I can understand why Google streamlining its operating systems is probably a good thing in the long run, losing Chrome OS will come with some growing, or rather, shrinking pains. It will force Google to choose between Android and Chrome OS for the future of several useful features, and I’m nervous that some of my favorites will disappear.

[....] Right now, regular updates are one of my favorite reasons to recommend Chromebooks. [androidauthority.com] You don’t usually have to worry about how many years of support your light, fast laptop is promised because it will get a brand-new version of Chrome OS every four weeks.

[....] The problem with Google shifting from Chrome OS to Android is that, well, Android updates don’t work in quite the same way. Rather than pushing one update to every device, each OEM has to take the time to optimize Google’s latest product to work with its own Android skin. That optimization delays the update schedule, sometimes to the point where a phone will fall behind by a version or two. And, when that happens, it almost never really catches up.

[....] Right now, organizing files on a Chromebook feels like it should — it’s very desktop-coded. Everything lives inside a folder like you’d find on a Windows or Mac laptop, and you can quickly sort by everything from title to file type for easy access. When you find what you need, you can then pin it to your Chromebook’s taskbar, keeping it just a tap away. Want to do that on an Android phone? There’s no space for more icons at the bottom of your display.

One useful feature of Chrome OS is that you can run a Linux VM within it if you have decent Chomebook hardware.

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