Recently it became known that Google is developing a new operating system called LaCrOs (Linux And ChRome OS). As far as you can tell, it should replace Chrome OS. The main difference is that the browser code will be decoupled from the operating system code. Back in April, a separate icon for launching the browser appeared in one of the test versions of the platform .
LaCrOs is covered in a previously published Google doc .
The work is gradually moving. So, in the latest beta version of Chrome OS (Chrome OS 87 Canary Channel) there are two Chrome browsers: the first is built into the system, the second is installed additionally. Moreover, the system makes it possible to launch both browsers additionally. The "standalone" browser does not work very quickly yet, plus there are problems at launch, including the appearance of various artifacts.
Why does Google need a new OS? It is difficult to say yet, perhaps the company wants to make a full-fledged operating system that will receive updates without having to update the entire operating system. Because of this, owners of a number of Chromebook models expect platform updates for several days or even weeks.
In addition, most Chromebooks have limited manufacturer support - the OS is updated over time. Most Chromebooks now receive support for 8 years .
If you separate the main OS from the browser, then the latter can be updated without the need to release an update for the entire OS. Platform updates can be less frequent, which means fewer resources are required to develop them.
In general, the idea is good, especially since the owners of old Chromebooks will have the opportunity to update the OS on their device. There are few problems. One of them is that the performance of the system may decrease slightly, since the interaction of the OS with the browser will be implemented using the API. But this decline is unlikely to be very noticeable.
By the way, the share of Chrome OS is only 0.91% of the market. This is a very minor achievement considering that the OS is already 11 years old. Google in its quest to develop a more progressive platform can be understood - the company wants to develop its system, and not stagnate with a market share below 1%.
