Google is building Chrome OS straight into Windows 8


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Google unveiled its Chrome Apps initiative recently to launch apps that exist outside of the browser and extend its reach into more of a platform, but it looks like the company has a whole lot more planned. Over the past few weeks, Google has been updating its developer version of the Chrome browser to run what's essentially Chrome OS within Windows 8's "Metro" mode.

Chrome traditionally runs on the desktop in Windows 8, but you can set it to launch within the Windows 8 Start Screen into a special "Metro-style" mode. The new updates are very different from the existing stable channel version of Chrome in Windows 8 that simply presents a fullscreen browser. In the latest dev channel release the UI and functionality is identical to Chrome OS. There's a shelf with Chrome, Gmail, Google, Docs, and YouTube icons that can be arranged at the bottom, left, or right of the screen. Like Chrome OS, you can create multiple browser windows and arrange them using a snap to the left or right of the display or fullscreen modes. An app launcher is also available in the lower left-hand corner.

While the Chrome browser acts as a Windows 8 application, it's using a special mode that Microsoft has enabled specifically for web browsers. The software maker allows browsers on Windows 8 to launch in its "Metro-style" environment providing they're set as default. The apps themselves aren't listed in the Windows Store and they're still desktop apps, but the exception allows them to mimic Windows 8 apps and access the app contracts and snapping features of the OS. While Chrome will obviously run in this mode on Windows 8, Microsoft does not permit this type of behavior on Windows RT.

 

At the moment Chrome's new mode on Windows 8 is a little buggy and it crashes occasionally, but it's clear where Google is heading. While Chrome Apps may have appeared to be Google's Trojan horse, a Chrome OS running inside Windows 8 is the ultimate way for the company to create its own app ecosystem on top of Windows. Google has also been improving its Chrome browser's touch support with additions that will likely aid navigation on Windows 8 and Chrome OS machines in future. It's not clear when the Chrome OS-like mode will make its way into the stable channel for Windows 8, but Google's ecosystem on top of Microsoft's own Windows platform is on the way and it could be the next major battle ground for control over desktop computing.

Screens...

http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/5/4806560/chrome-os-on-windows-8-screenshots

 

 

http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/5/4806562/google-building-chrome-os-into-windows-8

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NOT news - this has been going on with Chrome for quite a stretch.

 

Look at the crossover merely between the Chrome App Store and Google Play, let alone between either and the Windows 8 (ModernUI) App Store - that's not happenstance, by any stretch.

 

It's also why Firefox is using the SAME approach.  Firefox Nightlies and Aurora can act as ModernUI browsers today - but only when set as the default.

 

Google's approach is not news, and hasn't BEEN news for a while, and, believe it or not, has nothing to do with ModernUI - it does, however, have everything to do with the ModernUI App Store.

 

Look at crossover between the Chrome App Store and Google Play - there's that much commonality by design between the two.  In fact, if you install an app on one, it can auto-install in the other.  (Currently, this feature is opt-in, but how long will it be before it becomes opt-out, like most Google cross-service pollination features?)

 

It looks like an attack on ModernUI, and on the Windows 8 App Store, and it's both - however, the endgame is much more insidious.  Google wants a browser-as-OS front-end model.  The final target is Windows itself.

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How is asking HTC to release a Windows Phone version of popular Android handsets even remotely related to this, or parasitic in any way? Other than fulfilling your need to bash Microsoft's platforms, that post added no value to your thread whatsoever.

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How is asking HTC to release a Windows Phone version of popular Android handsets even remotely related to this, or parasitic in any way? Other than fulfilling your need to bash Microsoft's platforms, that post added no value to your thread whatsoever.

 

Really not hard to understand.  Android wants their OS on Windows 8.  Which Windows 8 allows BTW.  And MS wants their OS on HTC Android phones.  HTC makes WP so why not build on that relationship?  So it is the same thing.  Both companies want their OS seen/used on their rivals.  Again, not hard to understand.

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How is asking HTC to release a Windows Phone version of popular Android handsets even remotely related to this, or parasitic in any way? Other than fulfilling your need to bash Microsoft's platforms, that post added no value to your thread whatsoever.

Because Microsoft is leveraging the licensing fee that HTC already has to pay to put pressure on the company to install Windows Phone when it otherwise wouldn't have. In fact that's actually worse than what Google's doing, as Google is simply extending the functionality of its browser.

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Because Microsoft is leveraging the licensing fee that HTC already has to pay to put pressure on the company to install Windows Phone when it otherwise wouldn't have. In fact that's actually worse than what Google's doing, as Google is simply extending the functionality of its browser.

Who is that hot girl in your signature.

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Because Microsoft is leveraging the licensing fee that HTC already has to pay to put pressure on the company to install Windows Phone when it otherwise wouldn't have. In fact that's actually worse than what Google's doing, as Google is simply extending the functionality of its browser.

 

Can you provide the source for that particular conspiracy theory? All I've read so far is that Microsoft have actually offered to cut, or even eliminate the Windows license fee if HTC offered Windows versions of their popular devices.

 

Doesn't change the fact that it has absolutely nothing to do with the topic of this particular thread though :)

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Can you provide the source for that particular conspiracy theory? All I've read so far is that Microsoft have actually offered to cut, or even eliminate the Windows license fee if HTC offered Windows versions of their popular devices.

That's what I was referring to. Microsoft is applying financial pressure by offering to drop the licensing fee in exchange for including Windows Phone 8 on its devices.

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That's what I was referring to. Microsoft is applying financial pressure by offering to drop the licensing fee in exchange for including Windows Phone 8 on its devices.

 

 

And how is lowering the price of a windows licence to put them on a level playing field to Android, thereby providing a choice of OS to the consumer a bad thing?

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NOT news - this has been going on with Chrome for quite a stretch.

 

Look at the crossover merely between the Chrome App Store and Google Play, let alone between either and the Windows 8 (ModernUI) App Store - that's not happenstance, by any stretch.

 

It's also why Firefox is using the SAME approach.  Firefox Nightlies and Aurora can act as ModernUI browsers today - but only when set as the default.

 

Google's approach is not news, and hasn't BEEN news for a while, and, believe it or not, has nothing to do with ModernUI - it does, however, have everything to do with the ModernUI App Store.

 

Look at crossover between the Chrome App Store and Google Play - there's that much commonality by design between the two.  In fact, if you install an app on one, it can auto-install in the other.  (Currently, this feature is opt-in, but how long will it be before it becomes opt-out, like most Google cross-service pollination features?)

 

It looks like an attack on ModernUI, and on the Windows 8 App Store, and it's both - however, the endgame is much more insidious.  Google wants a browser-as-OS front-end model.  The final target is Windows itself.

calm down  :/ And honestly who cares, MS appstore is a failure anyway. Ask where are the apps, and the common response is "they are still coming". Yeh what's the next big excuse? How long now? Almost 2 years, and quality apps from multiple vendors are still to be seen. Just gotta admit no one is bothered by the MS appstore.

 

Chrome has 10 times better apps than by any stretch MS has or will achieve, even compared the current MS appstore.

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calm down  :/ And honestly who cares, MS appstore is a failure anyway. Ask where are the apps, and the common response is "they are still coming". Yeh what's the next big excuse? How long now? Almost 2 years, and quality apps from multiple vendors are still to be seen. Just gotta admit no one is bothered by the MS appstore.

 

Chrome has 10 times better apps than by any stretch MS has or will achieve, even compared the current MS appstore.

 

Windows 8 has been out for 2 years now? That's news to me.

 

Have you even used Windows 8 apps before? To say these Chrome apps are better is just wrong.

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Windows 8 has been out for 2 years now? That's news to me.

They're probably including the Developer Preview in that figure.

 

And how is lowering the price of a windows licence to put them on a level playing field to Android, thereby providing a choice of OS to the consumer a bad thing?

It's not, directly. The issue is the way Microsoft has litigated to drive up the cost of Android, with it actually costing manufacturers more to ship with Android?a free operating system?than to pay the licence fee for Windows Phone. A lot of the time it relates to ridiculous patents that should never have been awarded but take years to challenge. It's hard for smaller companies to defend themselves against such litigation and they usually end up settling at an excessive rate. Microsoft then uses that position to try to pressure manufacturers into including Windows Phone. I just don't have any respect for such business practices.

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They're probably including the Developer Preview in that figure.

 

It's not, directly. The issue is the way Microsoft has litigated to drive up the cost of Android, with it actually costing manufacturers more to ship with Android?a free operating system?than to pay the licence fee for Windows Phone. A lot of the time it relates to ridiculous patents that should never have been awarded but take years to challenge. It's hard for smaller companies to defend themselves against such litigation and they usually end up settling at an excessive rate. Microsoft then uses that position to try to pressure manufacturers into including Windows Phone. I just don't have any respect for such business practices.

 

Good ol' Motorola is manufacturing their phones in 'Murica because they are being patriotic. Oh no...wait,thats not actually why. These "ridiculous" patents were challenged in court,and Motorola got their butts handed to them,and now their phones are banned from importation in the U.S . 

 

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Good ol' Motorola is manufacturing their phones in 'Murica because they are being patriotic. Oh no...wait,thats not actually why. These "ridiculous" patents were challenged in court,and Motorola got their butts handed to them,and now their phones are banned from importation in the U.S . 

 

 

they're being assembled in the US because the economy is horrible here it's finally cheap enough to pay someone to assemble it here, the parts are still sourced from China and Taiwan as ususal

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I'm not dissing Chrome OS because I have a Samsung Chromebook and love it. But I'm not sure what Google is trying to accomplish here. If you run Chrome you basically run Chrome OS.

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