Chrome vs. Android

[Agus Hamonangan]

Google makes no bones about its new PC software competing with an
earlier operating system: Is Chrome OS the beginning of the end of
Android?

By Olga Kharif

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jul2009/tc2009079_065270.htm



Google's plans to release computer software were instantly seen as an
attempt to tread on Microsoft's turf. The impact of the new operating
system, Chrome OS, probably won't be felt in Redmond any time soon.
Where Chrome OS will have a more immediate—and, likely, profound—
impact is in Google's own backyard: on a project called Android.

The company's efforts will now be divided between potentially
competing operating systems, and some analysts speculate Google will
de-emphasize Android for such devices as netbooks. Software developers
may also be forced to choose between the two systems, with many
favoring Chrome OS. As a result, the quality and versatility of
Android may suffer and it may become a less attractive option for
makers of computers and other electronics. "Chrome will result in more
fragmentation," says Andrew Brown, a director at Strategy Analytics, a
consulting firm. "It also suggests Google may scale back [efforts
related to] Android for netbooks."

Android, introduced last year by a group of companies led by Google
(GOOG), was initially designed to run mobile phones, though developers
were increasingly inclined to put it on a wider array of computing
devices. It already powers smartphones like the T-Mobile G1. A number
of companies have also been looking at using Android in larger Mobile
Internet Devices (MIDs), netbooks, set-top boxes, and even
televisions, according to Google. "We are being very supportive to the
[developer] community targeting these devices," Andy Rubin, senior
director of mobile platforms at Google, told BusinessWeek.com earlier
this year.

SPECULATION ABOUT A SCALEBACK
In June, PC maker Acer announced it will release its first Android-
based Aspire One netbook; the computer is due to become available in
the third quarter. "In addition to Microsoft's operating system, the
majority of Acer netbooks will also offer Android in the future," the
company said in a statement at the time. A startup called Touch
Revolution is developing an Android-based kitchen computer. Even
Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), the world's largest PC maker, has been
considering using Android.

Now, though, some analysts speculate Google may drastically scale back
its Android ambitions, which might put some computer makers' plans in
limbo. In announcing Chrome OS, even Google acknowledged the potential
for rivalry between the two systems. "While there are areas where
Google Chrome OS and Android overlap, we believe choice will drive
innovation for the benefit of everyone, including Google," the company
said in a blog entry. The first netbooks running Chrome are due to be
released in the second half of 2010.