14 DAY TRIAL // Google has never been an avid supporter of Windows 10, and the company has always ignored Microsoft’s app store, but by the looks of things, the search giant could soon step into the world of Windows with its own devices.
Google Pixelbook might soon be Windows 10-certified, if some recent findings of the folks over at XDA are accurate. References in the AltOS program, which is believed to finally make it possible to boot an alternative OS on the Pixelbook, suggest that Google’s device might be on the table to pass WHCK (Windows Hardware Certification Kit) and HLK (Windows Hardware Lab Kit) certifications.
This means that at some point in the future, Pixelbook can be able to run Windows 10 without any further hacks, as Microsoft itself could let its operating system to be installed on this device.
Without a doubt, this could be huge news for both Google and Microsoft, though for the time being details are still scarce and no official confirmation is available.
Project not yet confirmed
But as the cited source mentions, Google could very well give up on the project before the public release, instead deciding to continue exclusively with its work improve support for Linux and Android apps.
Chromebooks adoption has increased significantly lately, and in the education sector alone, they are the leading choice in several markets, including in the United States.
While it’s an active player in the education industry, Microsoft itself is also betting big on this part of the market with dedicated software, such as Windows 10 with S Mode, which restricts the use of Win32 software and instead limits users to Microsoft Store apps.
A platform like this powering the Pixelbook could make sense for some level, though when looking at the bigger picture, Google barely has a reason to embrace such an idea. There’s a bigger chance that Google might eventually offer some sort of emulation to bring at least part of Windows to its Pixelbook, though it remains to be seen if this is indeed the case and how everything would work.