Schmidt: Chrome OS and Android "may merge closer"

CEO says he didn't want to build Chrome initially

10 July 2009 11:10 GMT / By Duncan Geere

Since the announcement of Chrome OS, Google's browser-based, lightweight, operating system, the internet's been stuck in an argument over how big a deal it is - whether it'll annihilate Microsoft like in search, or whether it'll be a flash-in-the-pan fad like Knol.

One particular topic of debate has been about whether Google should have just co-opted Android into the position that Chrome OS occupies. Well, in a press conference, CEO Eric Schmidt provided an answer:

"Although it appears they are two separate projects, there's a great deal of commonality", "Eventually they may merge even closer" he said, adding, "All of it is open".

He also admitted that he had to be persuaded by founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page to even give the OS a shot. They hired some Firefox developers to build a prototype of what it could be. "It was so good that it essentially forced me to change my mind", said Schmidt.

Finally, he spoke about his position on the Apple board and the conflict of interest that Chrome OS brings. "I recused myself from iPhone because it was a direct competitor", he said. "There is no change at the moment".

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