Google has touted its Pixelbook as the must-have Chrome OS device and a real contender to any Windows 10-based machine on the market. But what if the company ultimately decides to sell the Pixelbook with more than just Chrome OS installed?
In an odd twist, the folks over at XDA Developers this week discovered some code inside Chrome OS that suggests that Google's Pixelbook could natively boot both Chrome OS and Windows 10.
According to the report, the code includes mentions of Windows Hardware Certification Kit and Windows Hardware Lab Kit. The inclusion of those code elements suggests that Google is working towards getting certified by Microsoft to allow Windows 10 to run on its Pixelbook.
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Earlier this year, reports surfaced saying Google was working on a feature called AltOS for its Pixelbook. The idea was to be able to run two operating systems on the machine. While there had been some reports that the feature was for internal testing and wouldn't be made public, it appears now that the AltOS is Windows 10 and the feature will be made public.
While it's unclear exactly how the feature might work, it appears likely that you'll be able to turn on the Pixelbook and choose whether to run Chrome OS or Windows 10. There's also a question of, if it comes with Windows 10 preinstalled, if it would be Windows 10 Home, Pro or even in S Mode, which mirrors Chrome OS's lightweight sensibilities. It's also possible that, if this comes to fruition, that users would need to provide their own copy of Windows 10. That would let them pick whichever version is best for them.
Google hasn't commented on its plans and it's impossible to know whether the company is simply testing the feature to decide whether to release it or not or really wants to get this to the Pixelbook at some point in the near future. And since certifications are required and Microsoft and Google would ostensibly need to collaborate on the feature to ensure everything is in place, the whole concept could collapse before it becomes a reality.
