We just got our hands on the CR-48 Chrome Notebook, the first official hardware for Chrome OS, and already the creator of GMail is predicting that Android will either kill or replace our beloved Chrome OS within the next year. Ouch.
To be fair, Paul Buchheit is now a Facebook employee and we all know they’re not exactly best friends with the Big G, so perhaps Mr. Buchheit is just stirring the competitive spirit soup. Or maybe he knows Google and its employees incredibly well and knows something we don’t.
It’s easy to make cases for both sides:
- Android has already become a phenomenal success and has shown it can transcend to different device types with products like the Samsung Galaxy Tab
- Chrome OS is a totally different TYPE of device and one with a different angle on how we’ll be using the web in several years, so keeping it as its own vision could make it an iconic piece of software as our habits are continually shaped and reshaped.
I think you know where WE stand. It’s clear that Chrome BROWSER isn’t going anywhere so don’t fear that. And truthfully, the CR-48 has an interesting and unique offering and proposition, something that Android currently can’t offer and probably won’t in the near future. Unless of course they just rename Chrome OS as Android Notebooks or whatever. It is certainly possible they just rebrand Chrome but with the success of the browser, why would they?
I’m not sure where this will head, but we’re still excited about Chrome and are eager to give you our full-review on the CR-48. In the meantime, be sure to visit our CR-48 Forum where we YOU can provide YOUR opinion!
