TECH

Microsoft, Google and ARM Working On A Native Version of Chrome

Had it been 3-4 years ago, an ARM processor for a machine running Windows would sound pretty absurd. It happens to be 2018 now and companies prefer taking these risks.
Windows can be found on a number of Qualcomm running PCs. It provides an extra advantage to those PCs running LTE, having themselves connected to the internet at all times. This summer, at Computex 2018, Qualcomm even went on to introduce the Snapdragon 850 chip. A custom-built chip to be run on PCs and support Windows 10. These power averse chips happen to run Windows just as well as any other Intel or AMD chip would but it does so while drawing a portion of the power they need and dissipating a conservative amount of heat as it goes. While these computers may be running Windows 10, the restrictions put on them by Microsoft as to not being able to use off store apps puts them short of perfect.
This means users are often limited to using Microsofts very own Edge instead of the market leader, Chrome (Chrome is not available on the Microsoft’s Windows store as it was removed by Microsoft). Recently though, in light of various reports, Microsoft developers seem to be working alongside Googles’s developers (and ARM, of course) to develop a custom version of Google Chrome that brings the full desktop functionality of the Chrome to Windows 10 on ARM Processors.
Perhaps this would be a welcomed news as a natively supported version of Chrome would allow users to a) have more of a variety when it comes to choosing web browsers for ARM-based machines, b) it is also good news for older Google Chrome users who are very comfortable with the ecosystem and would like all their devices to be synchronized, to have all their passwords and browsing details to be safe and in a continuous stream, be it on their mobile device, desktop or Laptop. Even if Microsoft were to allow for the Chrome installer back on the Windows Store, it would never be able to take full advantage of the ARM processor as it would not be well integrated.
Perhaps when this integrated and custom version of Chrome is developed, Microsoft would change some of its policies to allow it to be back on the Store. Maybe that is the major goal so as to why they are going all the way to assisting ARM and Google to work on the new version of Chrome, to ultimately introduce it on the Windows Store, a more integrated, balanced and simple solution. Only time will tell.


Sarmad Burki