ChromeOS and Android are different/the model is the same

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Will the Chromium OS remain open source?

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cdaffara@... 4th May 2010

Dear Dana,
actually ChromeOS and Android are quite different (both technically and in terms of model) but both can be imagined as "disruptors" and not really moneymakers. Look at android: they basically changed the telco landscape in less than 2 years, leaving ample space for differentiation in terms of UI and ancillary applications, while making sure that the most interesting apps from google remain only on google-branded phones. Along with the iPhone, android forced MS to scrap their previous efforts at mobile OS, and forced RIM to update their web side (something that they strongly resisted in the past, due to the fear of losing strength on their fundamental apps). As for the model used, I doubt that they will close it, but will adopt the same "gated community" model used for Android: partners will get advance access to all patches and updates (with an advantage in time-to-market of up to 6 months, that for mobile phones is a lifetime) and specialized engineering service to facilitate integration. I believe that the model used for ChromeOS will be the same, along with the same reason: disrupt the market, move it to ARM (similar/slightly lower pricing, much better performance per watt, longer battery lifetime, improved multimedia) where microsoft can't follow.
So, to answer your question, they will not close it, but "gate" it (open with a slight delay). It will maintain consistency because vendors will be part of the community of those interested in maintain consistency, or will use they interface instead, and so will differentiate strongly; it will remain open to guarantee vendors that it will be always within their control even if Google decides to change everything, and ChromeOS and Android will not mix, as the underlying designs are too different (there is a small possibility, technically speaking, to have an Android runtime under Chrome- but I seriously doubt that anyone will follow that road).