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WSJ: Google developing touchscreen Chromebooks

Mariella Moon
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Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ever wonder what Google has in store for its Chrome OS? It’s only natural to think that the company’s reserving it only for use on laptops or desktops – after all,Google already has Android for tablets and smartphones. However, according to a report published by the Wall Street Journal, the next Chrome devices might be touchscreen laptops, which could end up being very similar in form to many of the Windows 8 tablet-laptop hybrids we’ve seen popping up recently. 

The main distinction between Android and Chrome OS is that the Chrome OS was designed to depend on Web-based apps and programs, and to save your files on the cloud. If the report does indeed turn out to be true, it’s up to Google to entice developers to make apps for the touchscreen version of Chrome OS. There probably won’t be a huge difference in price point between Android and Chrome OS devices, seeing as there are many low- to mid-range Android phones and tablets out there. If the company decides to continue following the path Chromebooks have taken, the new touchscreen devices might also be geared toward the education sector. 

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Of course, these are but mere conjectures at this point in time, as the WSJ didn’t name its sources and Google has declined to comment. As such, we’ve yet to know whether Google will be working with a limited number of manufacturers for the touch-capable Chrome devices, similar to how the company has partnered with Samsung and Acer for a number of its Chromebooks. If you ask NPD research firm’s Stephen Baker, Google making touchscreen Chrome devices is a no-brainer: “In the long run, to be competitive, most products are going to need touch,” he told the WSJ. Do you agree, or do you think Google shouldn’t be making products that will compete with its Android platform?

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Mariella Moon
Mariella Moon
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Mariella loves working on both helpful and awe-inspiring science and technology stories. When she's not at her desk writing…
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