Google is looking to add dual-boot capabilities to Chromebooks

[Shawn Knight]

Why it matters: If nothing else, Campfire could help improve Google’s public image as it relates to playing nice with others in the industry. Just last month, if you recall, Google was hit with a $5 billion fine by the EU for antitrust violations in Android. Demonstrating that Chromebooks can run Windows would certainly be a good look for Google right about now.

Google may soon allow select users to dual-boot Windows 10 on their Chromebooks through a feature codenamed Campfire. Think of it as the Google equivalent of Apple’s Boot Camp.

XDA Developers earlier this year found a mysterious project on the Chromium Git. They’ve been following it ever since and recently discovered that the Alt OS the project references is Windows 10. Best yet, the feature isn’t just an internal side project but rather, intended for public release.

Campfire won’t require fiddling around with Developer Mode in Chrome OS or flashing firmware, making it easy and safe for consumers of all technical levels to use.

The one major downside to Campfire adoption, it appears, is storage capacity. The publication says target devices will need at least 40GB of free space – 10GB for Chrome OS and 30GB for Windows 10. For Chromebooks with 16GB or 32GB of soldered eMMC storage – and there are a lot of them in the wild – it sounds as if they’ll be out of luck.

Google could unveil the feature at its upcoming Pixel 3 hardware event.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/75938-google-looking-add-dual-boot-capabilities-chromebooks.html

 

[psycros]

Literally nobody asked for this. Providing full support for dual-booting Linux would make a ton more sense and accomplish the same goal theorized by the writer.

 

[Kibaruk]

I don't know how it will fare with a W10 install, in the end most of the chromebooks are in the low-end of the hardware spectrum.

The publication says target devices will need at least 40GB of free space – 10GB for Chrome OS and 30GB for Windows 10

I can only imagine that it will be able to run it out of a USB drive? I don't know if possible but would make the most sense for those with a <32gb drive.

Literally nobody asked for this. Providing full support for dual-booting Linux would make a ton more sense and accomplish the same goal theorized by the writer.

If you think about it, it's already running Linux... :mindblown:

 

[Theinsanegamer]

I see this as being a good thing. If you want a well made 11 or 13 inch laptop, the vast majority are chromebooks.

It would also make more sense for those of us with i5 Chromebooks with more storage and RAM then normal, perhaps even open the door for ryzen mobile chromebooks.

 

[JaredTheDragon]

30GB seems like a lot for Win10. Takes up (by itself) only 21.3 for me on my TV-PC, and 16.7 GB on my gaming computer. Maybe they just wanted to give it plenty of room to grow?