I believe the ChromeOS -> Android move was because the CrOS model of having Google pay for the testing support of partner devices was not working out, and moving towards Android's model would cut costs while also cutting duplicate development costs.
Fascinating...I did well-known work at G, but at the end of the day just a line-level report on Android. I'm a little bit surprised, but, in ways a line-level report would be. Naive ways. (who cares!? You gotta test on partner devices anyway!! and who cares?! Google can afford it!)
Thinking on it, it's rational if that was the impetus. Why lose money? I guess I'm more sore over BSing ('because AI'), that TQ was shitcanned in the name of "let's ship devices", just to turn around and do N years of getting ChromeOS onto Android. Finally, I always saw ChromeOS as *awesome*, much better than Win/macOS...modulo the hardware...and the Linux VM perf penalty...but man its complex. To start unwinding the Android VM perf penalty, you'd have to shift off an Android VM onto Android anyway...
gah I should stop writing. Tough problems, no easy answers.
Just really disappointed it went this route. I joined G in 2016 as an Apple fanboy and was really chuffed by this new hardware division that'd induce discipline and steadily build out a real ecosystem. It's 9 years later, there's no real commitment beyond the phone and watch, which were both ~ready in 2016, and multiple half-assed commitments that were rolled back.
