Google Responds to Chrome OS and Android Merger Report
Google has responded to a report saying it plans to merge Chrome operating system (OS) with the Android mobile OS two years from now.
On Oct. 29, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published a report citing insiders who said Google is planning to fold the Chrome OS for PCs into the Android OS in 2017. However, Google has denied this plan and said it is still "committed" to Chrome OS, according to The Guardian.
WSJ's report said the merger is a sign that mobile computing is now on the rise. In addition, the publication said Google engineers have spent two years to merge Chrome OS with Android OS seamlessly and will release an early version of the operating system next year.
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Chrome OS and Android were created separately to test which approach would be successful. Chrome OS was designed to encourage users to access their software and app from all kinds of devices. As mobile devices proliferated, app usage of the public went up, and Android emerged as the winner, WSJ details.
However, Hiroshi Lockheimer, the head of Android, Chromecast, and Chrome OS, released a statement denying the reports on the said OS merger.
"There's a ton of momentum for Chromebooks and we are very committed to Chrome OS," The Guardian quotes Lockheimer's statement. "I just bought two for my kids for schoolwork."
The tech giant, however, has taken a few steps to integrate the Chrome OS with the Android OS. Among these moves are the addition of more desktop Chrome features for the Google Chrome browser for Android devices and the incorporation of Google Now and Android app support on Chrome OS, the report relays.
Chrome OS has found a niche in schools using low-cost laptops and seeking an operating system that is malware-proof and is easy to set up. For this reason, Google may still want to keep Chrome OS around for a little while.
