Hiroshi Lockheimer: We Are Very Committed To Chrome OS

Yesterday, word broke out that Alphabet, Google's new mothership, might be in the process of merging the disparate but superficially related worlds of Android and Chrome into one, with a unified OS launching sometime next year. While still unconfirmed, many have already given their opinions on it, some hailing the move as a long time coming while others naturally disappointed at even the thought. While not completely putting those rumors to rest, HIroshi Lockheimer took to Twitter to signify is support for the now embattled OS.

Lockheimer is, of course, Google's new Senior VP of Android, Chrome OS, and Chromecast, taking over Sundar Pichai who has been elevated to CEO of Google. Like the father of rivaling children, it would be difficult for Lokcheimer to play favorites. And so he expresses publicly his support, and therefore executive stance, for Chrome OS.

Rumors of this merger of Google's two major operating systems both makes sense and doesn't. On the one hand, Chrome OS has never really taken off the way Android has. The lines between Chrome the browser and Chrome the OS are often blurred, delineated mostly by hardware products. On the other hand, however, the market for web apps and rich web experiences hasn't really declined in the face of mobile apps, hinting that there might still be some space for Chrome as an independent OS.

Sources have said that the merger has long been underway. Perhaps the recent Pixel C might even be taken as a sign. But if Lockheimer is to be believed, Google hasn't completely given up on Chromebooks just yet. Then again, he didn't exactly close the door for some merger in the future, only hinting that we will still see a few more Chromebooks for quite some time.

SOURCE: @Hiroshi Lockheimer