Google May Soon Seek Out Windows 10 Certification for the Pixelbook

• Pixelbook users have spotted mentions of an alternative OS – possibly Windows 10 – in Chromium OS’ code and documentation.
• Speculation about the move has run rampant since the beginning of the year.
• The Pixelbook’s hardware may be the biggest barrier to Windows 10 certification.

While Google’s Pixelbook – a hybrid of tablet and laptop technology – has enjoyed praise from users so far, it does have a couple of problems. The fact that it runs the Chrome OS causes a few issues, as many see the operating system as being less powerful than its competitors.

However, the rumor mill has started churning and it suggests that Google may be looking to get Windows 10 certification for the Pixelbook. According to 9to5 Google, recent exploration of the Chromium OS code and documentation suggests that Google may look to create a Pixelbook that dual-boots Chrome OS and Windows 10, in a near future.

Apparently, this speculation stems from reviews and commits in the Chromium code, so you should take it with a grain of salt. After all, this isn’t the first time that the idea of increased Pixelbook functionality has come up. Earlier in the year, eagle-eyed viewers founded Google’s documentation contained mentions of an “AltOS”.

The latest speculation points to further commits that mention Microsoft’s Hardware Lab Kit (HLK) and its Windows Hardware Certification Kit (WHCK).

As a result, speculators suggest that Google wants to get Windows 10 up and running on Pixelbook as an alternative to its own Chrome OS. Receiving Windows certification would also allow the Pixelbook to offer support for Microsoft’s drivers. At the very least, this would give Pixelbook adopters the option of using Windows 10, even if it doesn’t come as standard on the hardware.

But you can’t get too excited just yet. The Pixelbook’s Core i5 Y isn’t exactly designed for a high-end operating system like Windows 10. In fact, Google chose it specifically because it’s ideal for a lightweight OS, like Chrome OS. A lack of fans in the machine also means it may overheat if it’s working too hard.

There’s no official comment from Google yet, so consider this as just a rumor for now.