Chrome OS’ Windows Support May Be Exclusive To Pixelbook

- August 15, 2018

Chromium Gerrit commits indicating that a Windows dual-boot functionality could be on its way for Chromebooks may only have been pointing to Google's own Pixelbook. Initial reports had proposed that the feature, referenced internally as 'Campfire,' was headed to more Chrome OS devices based on a statement including the phrase "campfire variants." However, a comment found in yet another commit associated with the updater for the dual-boot implies that the feature is intended to always be an "Eve-specific thing." The discussion continues further to discuss the addition of aspects of Campfire to future boards as well. For clarity, Eve is the codename generally associated with Google's current Pixel-branded Chromebook hardware. It has also been associated with some of the code appearing in the upcoming 'Atlas' and 'Nocturne' commits, which are thought to be tied in with the company's next-generation Google Chromebooks.

The discussion about future Chromebooks made by the search giant does not guarantee that the Windows dual-boot feature will work on those. However, the statements made in the comments section of the above-mentioned commit seem to suggest that it will not work on any non-Google Chrome OS devices. Moreover, it could ultimately be the case that only the current-generation of Eve-based Pixelbooks will receive the feature. That wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing from Google's perspective since it could feasibly add substantially to its Pixelbook's life-cycle. In combination with its Android and Linux app capabilities, being able to boot into Windows 10 would give consumers more reasons to continue buying the nearly year-old hardware. That's particularly true with consideration for the expectation that Google will announce a brand new update to the line in just a few months. In effect, it would be a differentiating factor that could set the laptop apart if it matches the needs of a significant number of buyers better than the newer offering.

If the commenting developer on the commit turns out to have been correct, those who are using Chromebooks from other OEMs will likely be entirely left out, pending a substantial amount of work from developers. Given that the responding commenter did not correct the statement in question, that does seem to be the case for the time being.