At first, Google will be offering a limited number of Android apps

Jun 27, 2014 08:36 GMT  ·  By

If you’ve been following our news reports regarding Google’s I/O keynote, you probably know that Google plans to bring Android notifications and apps to your good old Chromebook (desktops too for that matter).

While that sounds exciting is that it certainly doesn’t translate into you being able to run every single app you can encounter in the Google Play Store on your Chromebook. Well, not at first anyway.

To get creative juices flowing in the right direction, Google demonstrated a few apps at the conference, including Evernote, Vine and Flipboard on the Chromebook Pixel.

So, we got to see how changes in the Evernote running on the Chromebook were automatically ported on the phone version of the app. Basically, what you did on your laptop, you also did on the smartphone.

Anyway, for the time being Google is asking you for help to pick the apps you want to see on our Chromebook. The search giant’s own François Beaufort made the announcement in one of his Google+ posts.

The company is taking things slowly, but that doesn't mean we won’t end up seeing every app in the Google Play store run on Chrome OS someday. But for the time being, Google wants to focus on a specific set of apps, which incidentally are of more interest to users.

So with this in mind, Google has set up a poll in which it asks users to name their desired apps for Chrome OS. In order to get your say, you’ll have to submit your answer including a Play Store link to the app you want to see arrive on Chrome. You’ll also have to specify if you’re the developer of the app and submit your email address in case the answer is yes.

Google will first want to get these apps optimized for use with a mouse and a keyboard because, after all, they are pieces of software designed with a touch experience in mind, so we’re not being given a time line for when we should start seeing our favorite mobile apps on Chromebooks.

What seems certain is that Evernote, Vine and Flipboard will make it to the list of apps headed for the laptops.

Android apps on Chrome OS might have been the biggest news while the laptops are concerned, but Google had a couple more to share.

Google will be also adding the locking and unlocking magic feat, which translates into the possibility of unlocking one’s Chromebook by virtue of a recognized smartphone.

Last but not least, Chromebook will be getting Google Now notifications treatment, so owners will be able to see when they receive a call or text right on their laptop’s screen.