Chrome and Android will remain separate, says Google's Eric Schmidt
Google's executive chairman Eric Schmidt has confirmed that the company's two operating systems — Android and Chrome OS — will remain separate entities.
Schmidt quashed rumours that the two platforms could come together in the near future at the company's Big Tent event in India on Wednesday, according to a report on Reuters.
While combining the two platforms into one super-OS for its Chromebook and mobile devices doesn't look likely in the near future, Schmidt did say that there could be more "commonality" between the devices, according to the report.
Rumours of the possible shift in strategy were fuelled by the company's decision to appoint Sundar Pichai - head of Google's Chrome browser and Chrome OS - to take the helm of Android as well.
Google's rivals in the OS market also tend to keep two separate systems for their desktop/laptop and mobile devices. Apple uses OS X for its desktop line, and iOS for its iPhone and iPad devices. Similarly, Microsoft uses Windows 8 (or Windows RT) for its desktops and tablets, but is continuing on with Windows Phone for its smartphones.
Ubuntu, a new entrant into the smartphone and tablet platforms market, is using the same core kernel of Ubuntu on the desktop for its mobile and tablet aspirations. However, no phones or tablets have yet been announced that use Ubuntu OS, meaning it has quite a mountain to climb if it wants to be a viable platform contender.