4 ms·

Nexus 7 tablet runs Chromium OS

37 points by mmahemoff 14y ago

monkeyfacebag 14y ago
Chromium OS doesn't seem like a particularly good fit for the form factor and Android already runs Chrome, so I'm not sure I understand the effort, but I guess it's a neat hack.
- randomfool 14y ago
  I sort of like the approach of Chromium OS and Boot to Gecko. I don't know how useful this particular project is, but I'm interested in how the end result works. Theoretically, the newer HTML5 extensions are getting these closer to native apps in terms of features, so let's see how they do!
- MatthewPhillips 14y ago
  > Android already runs Chrome It runs a browser that is a fork of Chromium and shares the Chrome branding, but Android Chrome is not Chrome.
  - drivebyacct2 14y ago
    I thought/think they're pretty darn close. And I continually see signs of feature parity and moves towards enabling more of Chrome in Chrome for Android.
    - bryanlarsen 14y ago
      The biggest thing missing from Chrome for Android IMO is plugins. I hope they bring those over soon. I'm seriously thinking of switching to Firefox for Mobile just for this reason, even though I'd probably have to write/port the extensions I want myself.
      - tadfisher 14y ago
        I really hope you mean extensions and not that NPAPI crap.
  - abraham 14y ago
    Chrome is just Chromium with some additional features and different branding. So yes Chrome for Android is just as much Chrome as Chrome is.
- abraham 14y ago
  Chrome/ium OS has been experimenting with more touch friendly interfaces so it might work better in that form factor soon.
mtgx 14y ago
I don't think ChromeOS can be useful as a tablet interface, just like I don't think Ubuntu would be useful like that, but I could see it somehow dual-boot, or easily change between the Android and ChromeOS mode when being docked to a keyboard, with ChromeOS being more optimized for that kind of usage.
- rocky1138 14y ago
  I totally agree with you. I can see myself using something similar: a tablet when I'm travelling, relaxing, or watching a show, dual-booting into Ubuntu and plugging in a mouse+keyboard+monitor to get work done.
darklajid 14y ago
"A 16GB version of the tablet is currently priced at $249.00 on Google Play, with an 32GB iteration expected to be officially announced at some point over the next few weeks." Is this correct? At least over here (yay for regional limitations!) I can go to the store page of the 32GB model [1] (listed as 'in stock'). Only the 32GB model with HSPA+ [2] is listed as 'coming soon'. 1: https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=nexus_7_32gb https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=nexus_7_32g... 2: https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=nexus_7_32gb_hspa https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=nexus_7_32g...
- graue 14y ago
  That just changed, then. Thanks for the update! I checked those very same pages an hour ago and all three models (16, 32, 32 with HSPA+) were listed as “coming soon”.
  - georgemcbay 14y ago
    Yes, it did just change this morning: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4712924 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4712924 Google cancelled their NYC event due to Sandy but appears to still be doing a paper release of the new Nexus devices today.
- tylerlh 14y ago
  I bought a 32GB Nexus 7 in store on Saturday for $249 in Mountain View.

37 points by mmahemoff 14y ago

Chromium OS doesn't seem like a particularly good fit for the form factor and Android already runs Chrome, so I'm not sure I understand the effort, but I guess it's a neat hack.

randomfool 14y ago
I sort of like the approach of Chromium OS and Boot to Gecko. I don't know how useful this particular project is, but I'm interested in how the end result works. Theoretically, the newer HTML5 extensions are getting these closer to native apps in terms of features, so let's see how they do!
MatthewPhillips 14y ago
> Android already runs Chrome It runs a browser that is a fork of Chromium and shares the Chrome branding, but Android Chrome is not Chrome.
- drivebyacct2 14y ago
  I thought/think they're pretty darn close. And I continually see signs of feature parity and moves towards enabling more of Chrome in Chrome for Android.
  - bryanlarsen 14y ago
    The biggest thing missing from Chrome for Android IMO is plugins. I hope they bring those over soon. I'm seriously thinking of switching to Firefox for Mobile just for this reason, even though I'd probably have to write/port the extensions I want myself.
    - tadfisher 14y ago
      I really hope you mean extensions and not that NPAPI crap.
- abraham 14y ago
  Chrome is just Chromium with some additional features and different branding. So yes Chrome for Android is just as much Chrome as Chrome is.
abraham 14y ago
Chrome/ium OS has been experimenting with more touch friendly interfaces so it might work better in that form factor soon.

mtgx 14y ago

I don't think ChromeOS can be useful as a tablet interface, just like I don't think Ubuntu would be useful like that, but I could see it somehow dual-boot, or easily change between the Android and ChromeOS mode when being docked to a keyboard, with ChromeOS being more optimized for that kind of usage.

rocky1138 14y ago
I totally agree with you. I can see myself using something similar: a tablet when I'm travelling, relaxing, or watching a show, dual-booting into Ubuntu and plugging in a mouse+keyboard+monitor to get work done.

darklajid 14y ago

"A 16GB version of the tablet is currently priced at $249.00 on Google Play, with an 32GB iteration expected to be officially announced at some point over the next few weeks." Is this correct? At least over here (yay for regional limitations!) I can go to the store page of the 32GB model [1] (listed as 'in stock'). Only the 32GB model with HSPA+ [2] is listed as 'coming soon'. 1: https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=nexus_7_32gb https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=nexus_7_32g... 2: https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=nexus_7_32gb_hspa https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=nexus_7_32g...

graue 14y ago
That just changed, then. Thanks for the update! I checked those very same pages an hour ago and all three models (16, 32, 32 with HSPA+) were listed as “coming soon”.
- georgemcbay 14y ago
  Yes, it did just change this morning: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4712924 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4712924 Google cancelled their NYC event due to Sandy but appears to still be doing a paper release of the new Nexus devices today.
tylerlh 14y ago
I bought a 32GB Nexus 7 in store on Saturday for $249 in Mountain View.