The ranking of the desktop operating systems takes time without seeing significant changes. Windows takes years of absolute rule; Mac OS X maintains a stable percentage of users and conventional GNU / Linux still struggling to gain a foothold without all the success that many deserve.

Google tried some years ago to create an alternative to Chrome OS. Being based solely on the cloud was a limited system and many will not inaugurals a good future. But now that is about to be able to run all applications Android is completely transformed, and perhaps the time to start taking it seriously as a worthy candidate to close the gap with Windows and Mac has arrived.

In fact, the first step has already been silent in recent months. During the first quarter of 2016 we have been sold 2 million Chromebook in the United States, surpassing the 1.76 million Macs were sold during the same period and all this while still a limited operating system features.

Does your trick? Possibly the price! A Chromebook can leave us between 200 and 400 dollars, while Apple laptops are in a much higher price band. Chrome OS is accessible, and to be based on a browser allows us to do a lot of things we do with any portable long as we have connection.

But as we said everything will change in the coming months, because these same devices can run about 300 dollars the vast majority of Android applications. And they can do offline, so how to use the operating system will change completely. But what are the promises of the expected merger between Android and Chrome OS? What are your advantages over other operating systems?

The advantages of Chrome OS so far

Google created Chrome OS to try fighting conventional operating systems solving faults they say see them. These faults are the lack of security, the slowdown suffered over time, the fact that many are always outdated and that its costs are so high that not everyone can afford to have one powerful.

Chrome OS is as safe as Chrome itself, and has the advantage of not being affected by all malware that can threaten Windows and OS X. Of course, if we have already seen cases of ransomware in Linux also is expected that if just gaining a significant market share marauders start looking how to attack him.

The theme of the updates as also blocked a manner similar to the GNU / Linux distributions (remember that your kernel is the same) way, and uses an update system that allows the equipment is always up to date. And since this is so from the beginning polemics they do not have to ride like Microsoft forcing users to go from one version to another.

The issue price is relative. It is true that most Chromebooks are inexpensive, but have also seen that when they try to climb to higher prices ranges specifications also skyrocket. Do not forget that the brand Chromebook Pixel 2015 hit the market with a price of between 999 and 1299 dollars according to the model.

Another of the great strengths with devices featuring the operating system of Google is its high autonomy. Except some models with Windows, users who wanted laptops with about 10 hours of battery life had to go with Apple. But Chromebooks are an alternative with similar autonomies at a much cheaper price. Have to see how it affects the arrival of many more applications in these figures.

Did you want applications? Take two cups

But Chrome OS has its flaws, and being focused almost exclusively on the cloud is one of them. At least it was when it came out a few years ago. Gradually it has adapted to increase the offline use of some of their webapps, but not being able to take advantage when offline has remained one of the great scourges. One large enough for many (myself included) have finished not take it seriously until now.

Google knew it , and while many speculated the possible sacrifice of Chrome OS to Android would bet by the multivitamin and thus harden the notebook market in the search company were working right in the opposite direction, to make it out Chrome OS the real protagonist made compatible with Google Play and receiving its millions of apps.

They have done getting into the Android framework within Chrome OS. Applications range containerized and adapt to the basics of Chrome OS, allowing early verified and encryption of user data. The implementation will be complete, Android applications run on Chrome OS as native and benefit from its components, for example, use your application center for apps.

This will not only put Chrome OS up to the other systems in terms of number of applications. It will also allow benefiting from the rise of mobile devices, allowing portable Chromebooks are unique in being able to use apps natively as Snapchat or games like Clash of Clans.

Applications use their Android notification center and work offline in the same way they do on mobile. If we drop a movie on Google Play, a book or a disk in Spotify, then we can play at any time. In addition, applications will be compatible for both architectures like ARM for Intel.

Therefore, the only limits of Android applications are, according to Google, the Chromebook in the running. For example, to make calls you will need a microphone, and hence it is essential to a touch screen for our team will be successful even install Google Play.

There are questions that are key yet

As I have painted so far everything looks idyllic, but not quite as nice as it looks. There are still many questions to answer, and how are the answers could influence a lot on reception may have that new Chrome OS loaded applications.

The first question is to see if this entire new ecosystem negative impact on performance or autonomy of the system. One thing is that the team flies when only depends on the applications of Chrome, and quite another to keep doing it when using the Android, especially with the most demanding on computers with fewer resources.

It also remains to be seen if criminalizes battery extra burden of having several powerful applications running in the background. Autonomy is one of the big guns of Chromebooks, so get hold consumption is presented as one of the key pieces if you want to remain a good alternative.

So far Chrome OS simply launch the browser Google and its applications, which is why many consider him not a complete operating system. Furthermore, only the system that a large portion of memory is eaten RAMS equipment. Will she Google optimize it for the extra burden of new applications not degrading performance of current Chromebook that are to receive Google Play?

Answering the question of whether it’s time to get serious, I think on paper yes, we should start doing it. But one thing is theory and see if in practice its developers get things you’ve been doing well are maintained. Therefore we should expect that the merger between Chrome OS and Android is completed.

As you can see there are many questions to answer, so I have no one to quote you in a few months so that, once we have fully tested the new Chrome OS, we can see how they have responded. The expectation of the press and users is maximum; Google will live up to expectations or will not miss the opportunity to position itself in the field of operating systems? Visit http://digginit.org.uk/ for more tips.