Google I/O was interesting but not as exciting as some folks might have expected. Nevertheless, the company announced some cool things where Chromebooks are concerned. What the company has done can be viewed as a clear strike at the helm of Windows, and it is a good first step.
When one thinks of a Chromebook, right away will say that it is an operating system that requires an Internet connection, and is powered by Web Apps. However, that might not be the case for very long as Google is planning to make all the favorite Android apps run smoothly on Chromebooks.
Don't take this out of context, for Google is not attempting to make every single Android app perform on Chromebooks. That might turn out to be the end game, but right now the company is focused on getting the most favorite apps by Android users to run on the platform without issues.
As it stands right now, users can nominate their favorite apps to show up on Chromebooks. The most vote an app gets, the better its chances of rising to the challenge of running smoothly on Chrome OS.
"Finally, we're bringing a hand-picked set of Android apps to Chromebooks later this fall, starting with Evernote, Vine and Flipboard. Want to see your favorite Android apps on Chromebooks? Nominate them at chromebook.com/newapps," says Google.
Apart from just Android apps running on Chromebooks, Google announced some other neat features. We've always wanted our smartphone to communicate more deeply with our computers, but that is something we have yet to see. Google is trying to change that by allowing Chromebooks to give users a notification whenever an Android smartphone battery is running low.
Users will also get notifications for incoming phone calls and SMS. We don't see this type of integration with iPhone and Macs, or Windows Phone and Windows, which is a shame if we're being honest.
Having Android apps on Chromebooks is a great idea to boost the app ecosystem of the platform, and we wouldn't be too surprised if this move caused an increase in Chromebook sales for Google.
As Google invests more in Chromebooks, we expect to see much deeper integration with Android going forward. Such a move would likely entice millions of Android users to forget about purchasing a Mac or Windows system, and work with a Chromebook.
