Observations on Chrome OS, Android apps, and Google’s ecosystem

With Android apps continuing to rollout to Chromebooks, is it time for the two platforms to absorb beneath a distinct operating system?

It’s been able-bodied over a year aback Google acutely appear that Android apps were advancing to Chromebooks. A cardinal of models accept alien with the new software, but abounding are still waiting, and may be for a while longer. My own Asus Chromebook 14 accustomed the amend a brace of weeks ago, and I’ve been arena about with the abeyant aback then. There’s no charge to change the abundant critiques of Android apps on Chrome OS; the imperfections accept been accurately acicular out before. Instead, let’s attending at what this agency for Google’s added artefact ambit and ecosystem, now and in the future.

One of the aboriginal questions aloft aback during Google’s announcement, and absolutely alike afore that, was what this aggregate software would beggarly for these two (at the time) actual altered platforms. Afterwards all, if they now allotment the aforementioned software why accept altered operating systems at all? Should Chrome OS and Android absorb or is there still a purpose to their abstracted existence?

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My acquaintance with Android apps on Chrome OS so far has been transformative but not revolutionary. Certain tasks are assuredly easier with apps than by application web-based solutions. Chrome OS extensions are useful, but about not as able as a absolutely fledged app. So there’s absolutely some things that can be done abundant added calmly application Android apps than could ahead be done on a Chromebook. Email annual accession was my aboriginal go-to place, swapping out abundant tabs and login pages for the accustomed Gmail app I use on my phone.

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The greatest advance Android apps accept brought to Chrome OS is the adeptness to bound from Google’s ecosystem to the added basin of third affair offerings. Casework provided by added companies become applicable alternatives and extensions to the absence Chromebook experience.

Hangouts can be replaced with the internet-powered messaging app of your choice. Google Drive can be swapped out with your adopted billow accumulator and auto-backup platform. Google Photos can be replaced with abundant added able photo alteration accoutrement like Photoshop Express or Lightroom CC. The affiliation of apps with notifications additionally agency that Chrome OS can booty on a added amusing angle, hooking into your favourite platforms and acceptance you to acknowledge afterwards extensive for your phone.

More austere gaming, actuality able to adapt a notable music library, and comedy ahead bottomless video book types are additionally new luxuries for Chromebook owners, alive the accessories from actuality alone productivity-focused to ball platforms too. All of these allowances move Chrome OS abundant afterpiece to the capabilities of Android, but do they becloud the curve amid the two platforms?

While Android apps accept opened up a lot of new possibilities for Chromebook users, it’s not a absolute implementation. You can’t do aggregate on a Chromebook that your phone can. Alike Google Assistant, arguably the new amount of the company’s adaptable experience, is absent (unless you accept a Pixelbook). However, Chrome OS still does some things better, decidedly aback it comes to the assignment for which they’re primarily designed: productivity.

You can now download app and web applications for Google Docs or Microsoft Word, both of which I use. However, due to the phone and book aggressive architecture of the Android applications, alone I acquisition it easier and added advantageous to use the web versions. The key functions are laid out in a keyboard and abrasion affable way. Added avant-garde appearance are amid in archetypal and bigger organized menus. The applications aloof run added calmly too.

There additionally feels like a accessory achievement amends aback active Android apps on my Intel-based Chromebook, while webpages run as calmly as on any added platform. Web browsing with assorted tabs, quick admission to forwards, back, and bookmarks, and the huge arrangement of plug-ins with Chrome OS are about added advantageous in a laptop anatomy factor. No-one would accept to download Chrome from the Comedy Store to run on a Chromebook.

Chromebooks are still actual altered from Android devices. Some of these differences aren’t great, but they’re a allotment of what makes Chromebooks as acceptable and, added importantly, amount able as they are. It would absolutely be a abashment if these things afflicted artlessly to accompany the two platforms added in-line.

The touchscreen affair is one that some added contempo Chromebooks accept addressed, but they abundantly still abridgement modem connectivity options and a cardinal of sensors. This is why area or motion dispatch based applications don’t work, but they’re not absolutely acceptable for a laptop anatomy agency anyway.

One of the added bigger differences is accumulator space. Low amount Chromebooks, by far the bigger market, appear with aloof 16 or 32 GB of centralized accumulator and about afterwards microSD agenda slots for accretion that. 32 GB is advised a minimum alike for mid-range smartphones these days,  64, 128, and alike 256 GB flash, additional a microSD agenda slot, is appealing standard. This impacts the adeptness of Chromebooks to action in the aforementioned way that best bodies use their phones— as ample media libraries, gaming devices, or home to 101 altered apps. This isn’t carefully a problem, though.

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My Chromebook’s bound anamnesis charcoal mostly empty, with best of the accumulator taken up added afresh by Android apps, but this hasn’t absolutely added the cardinal of abstracts or files I’m extenuative on the accessory either. In added words, Chromebooks are still advantageous for billow and web-based accumulator in means that smartphones aren’t.

Over the accomplished few weeks, how I use my Chromebook has remained actual audible from my smartphone. Alike with all the added software, my Chromebook still fits into a added niche, work-related role, and aback I charge a laptop with continued array life. My smartphone is added of a jack-of-all-trades, bamboozlement email and ball with according ability. Added users’ breadth may vary, of course, but fundamentally the aberration amid the Android and Chrome OS anatomy factors advance to altered uses, alike aback there’s admission to the aforementioned apps.

This still doesn’t acknowledgment the catechism of whether the two operating systems should merge, though. Alike if the accessories are acclimated differently, it doesn’t beggarly they can’t allotment an OS. However, there are some added key differences that I accept accomplish this undesirable.

Chrome OS offers bigger security, fast-booting, and carriers don’t meddle with its upgrades, so Android could prove to be a about downgrade. Working the added way, Chrome OS’ desktop ambiance is not applied for baby blow screens and would crave a complete UI redesign to action on phones, although tablets ability be a simpler matter.

As we additionally mentioned, apps on Chrome OS are layered on top and aren’t deeply chip into the OS in the aforementioned way that they can be with Android smartphones. Instead, Google would apparently charge to rework both to actualize a amalgam acceptable for these two altered anatomy factors.

As Android apps don’t fundamentally about-face the address of Chromebooks, it’s accessible to admiration why Google would accessible up its bankrupt belvedere to antagonism from third parties; it looks like giving up ascendancy and abeyant monetization to its rivals. Afterwards all, Google hasn’t absolutely had abundant success demography on its rivals in the adaptable messaging space. Furthermore, Google has opened up its added curated out-of-the-box acquaintance to the wild-west attributes of the Android app ecosystem. That’s absolutely a risk.

To some extent, Google was consistently aggressive with third parties in the Chromebook space. Billow accumulator alternatives accept continued competed with Drive. Alike Microsoft bound confused to online certificate alteration to capitalize on the address for online storage. None of these casework accept anytime been bound out of the Chromebook experience. You’ll still additionally acquisition Google’s own casework marketed advanced and centermost aback booting up your Chromebook. Navigating to the Comedy Store and installing alternatives still requires a few clicks. You still accept to actualize a Google annual to alike use a Chromebook, so in that faculty the customer abject is still there. Instead Chromebooks can now avowal all of the aloft as new allowances of their ecosystem’s capabilities.

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As the Chromebook bazaar has grown, consumers accept accepted added from these devices, in both ball and abundance capabilities. These abatement alfresco the aboriginal ambit of the Chrome OS activity and artlessly aren’t article that Google could anytime baby to with a simple browser in a box.

Curating Linux based applications for Chrome OS acutely wasn’t absolutely applicable either. The belvedere would be so far abaft Macs and Windows in agreement of software abutment that it would be about absurd to bolt up. Marrying Android apps into Chrome was the best solution, as it instantly accepted admission to millions of new apps and capabilities.

This seems like the best acceptable acumen for Google’s decision, abnormally now afterwards accepting acclimated some of my accepted Android apps on my Chromebook this accomplished month. Chromebooks and Android won’t and shouldn’t merge, because they still fundamentally baby to altered markets and uses. However, bringing some of the huge ambit of absolute Android software to Chromebooks expands the address of these amount able laptops. That’s a big allurement for accepted consumers, as able-bodied as the apprenticeship market, which is a above industry for Chromebooks. Not alone are these accessories anatomic for alteration abstracts in the cloud, but ablaze photo editing, amusing networking, and ball burning are now allotment of the acquaintance too.

Do added things

Not necessarily better

Two audible anatomy factors

Conflict and accord with Google’s ecosystem

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Android apps on Chrome OS are transformative but not revolutionary

While Android apps accept opened up a lot of new possibilities for Chromebook users, it's not a absolute implementation

Even with admission to the aforementioned apps, Chrome OS charcoal bigger at some things than its Android equivalents. No-one would accept to download Chrome from the Comedy Store to run on a Chromebook.

The aberration amid the Android and Chrome OS anatomy factors artlessly leads to altered uses, alike aback there's admission to the aforementioned apps

Marrying Android apps into Chrome OS has broadcast what's accessible on Chromebooks, but the use cases aren't accumbent abundant for a abounding merger.

Bringing absolute Android software to Chromebooks expands the address of these amount able laptops

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