Google acquires Neverware: Chrome OS for all

 

You may or may not have heard about Neverware or CloudReady but their names were in the news this past week. Neverware is the Company behind CloudReady and it has just been acquired by Google, why is this important and what could it mean for the future of Chrome OS? Let's get into it. 

A quick Explainer

So, what is CloudReady and who is Neverware? Chrome OS is marginally open source with Chrome OS being the Google version of Chromium OS, as is the Chromium engine, Chrome OS is also partially a Linux distribution. These three things add up to form CloudReady, a more open, free, version of Chrome OS that you can install via USB just like Linux. CloudReady isn't a clone copy of Chrome OS so there are some caveats, it doesn't have access to Android apps (it just received Linux app support), and it doesn't have the same security as real Chromebooks. However, besides those caveats, CloudReady is every bit the fundamentals and core of Chrome OS.  

 

Image Credit: Ars Technica

Neverware is the parent company that created, maintains, and sells CloudReady. There are several tiers to CloudReady, Home (which is free), Enterprise. and Education. CloudReady works with the Chrome enterprise and Google admin console and that's what the Enterprise branch is for. Then there is the Education branch, its mostly to extend the Life of older hardware whilst managing students via Google classroom.  

 
 

That's the long and short of what is CloudReady and who is Neverware. 

 

What it means for CloudReady

So does the acquisition of Neverware mean the death of CloudReady? Not exactly.

Image Credit: Neverware

 
So Neverware has said that CloudReady isn't dead and that it will continue to be supported, and it will eventually be a Google offering. This means that CloudReady might eventually support the play store and the rest of Google mobile services, it's unclear whether that will happen or not but nevertheless CloudReady will eventually transition to an official Google product. So CloudReady isn't going to die it will simply get an upgrade to official Google status and all those currently running CloudReady will continue to receive support and updates. 

What It Means for Chrome OS

So, what does it mean for Chrome OS? It doesn't really mean anything. All it means for Chrome OS is the introduction of a new product based off CloudReady. I can only theorize that this product will be a riff on CloudReady, meaning official Chrome OS for anyone who wants to install it. It could be a hampered version of Chrome OS with caveats such as no Android support but that would basically be CloudReady with no real changes.  

 

Image Credit: TechRadar

 

The acquisition of CloudReady and Neverware is not the death of Chromebooks or Chrome OS, it's simply the launch of a new Chrome OS product, what that product is or entails stays a mystery. 

 

What It means for You

So, what does the Google acquisition of Neverware mean for you, the consumer? For the average Chromebook user? Not much. You will continue to use Chrome OS as normal although with the integration of CloudReady's technology you could receive more updates than normal. For more on that theory, I suggest you look at About Chromebooks article about the acquisition: https://www.aboutchromebooks.com/news/google-acquires-neverware-cloudready-chrome-os-chromebooks/  

 
 

For the rest of us it means an extended life for more hardware, Windows and Mac laptops don't last forever, a Google CloudReady product could allow you to make an old laptop into a Chromebook and take advantage of the lightweight performance that Chrome OS could bring to older hardware. 

 
 

This acquisition means that soon Google could release Chrome OS for everyone, hopefully free, hopefully open, Chrome OS for everyone. Sounds like a wonderful way to start 2021. 

 

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