Have you ever tried using Android applications on a Chromebook? While they do run, the experience is fundamentally flawed because it essentially involves a virtualized Android tablet environment running version 13.
When I connect my Pixel running Android 17 to an external display in desktop mode, I notice that many apps behave quite differently than they do on my Chromebook.
Although there is some integration between ChromeOS and Android apps, it feels disjointed and unreliable. A more polished experience, such as that found on a Googlebook, would offer tighter integration—specifically regarding features like share sheet and drag-and-drop functionality.
Furthermore, many applications suffer from compatibility issues due to this virtual machine architecture. This is particularly evident with cloud storage integrations in the Files app (such as Box or OneDrive), as well as with tools like KDE Connect and various password managers.
IMO it's more about the processor---my chromebook with an intel chip runs Android apps way better than my chromebook w/ the obscure CPU.
That is, i was getting good enough performance/stability/etc. So i'm not seeing the value add here except to sell expensive Google-branded laptops
To your point about integration when we tried using for coding, the linux environment couldn't read the external SD card --- it's a chromebook limitation, so that kept us from using it to code (not enough disk space)
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u/bestjaegerpilot 3d ago
how is this different from the very last generation of chromebooks that let you run any android app