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Yep: Chromebooks to get Google Play Store, outselling Macs in US
Be sure to catch all the news, views and analysis of Google I/O 2016 on Gearburn via our portal, and live blog.
Several weeks after it first leaked, Google has announced that its Play Store is indeed coming to Chromebooks.
The world’s most popular app store will be coming over to Chrome OS pretty much intact, the company said in a blog post.
“This means you’ll be able to download and use Android apps, so you can make a Skype call, work with Office files and be productive offline – or take a break with games like Minecraft, Hearthstone or Clash of Clans,” Google’s Chrome OS team said in a post.
It’s promised that the same apps used on your phone or tablet will run on your Chromebook, “without compromising their speed, simplicity or security”.
Related: Catch our Google I/O 2016 live blog / news recap
The Play Store will initially roll out to owners of the ASUS Chromebook Flip, the Acer Chromebook R 11 and the latest Chromebook Pixel using the “M53” developer channel, spreading to other Chromebooks “over time”.
The team has also promised to launch new devices specifically designed for the Play Store.
The company also shared a rather impressive milestone, revealing that Chromebooks are outselling Mac computers.
“Schools in the US are now buying more Chromebooks than all other devices combined – and in Q1 of this year, Chromebooks topped Macs in overall shipments to become the #2 most popular PC operating system in the US,” the company explained, citing the IDC’s latest statistics.
