Google’s rumored “Campfire” alt-OS mode could bring Windows 10 to Chromebooks

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by Radu Tyrsina 

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Google might be making fun of Windows in its latest Chromebook ads, but the company also could be playing nice with Microsoft’s OS sometime in the future. Noted by XDA-Developers, Google is working on a rumored “Campfire” alt-OS mode which could end up letting users dual boot Windows 10 on Chromebooks (via The Verge)

An alt-OS mode for Chromebook is not necessarily really new, as Google was already apparently using Microsoft’s coding tools to try and get Windows 10 certification for Pixelbooks. Anyway, XDA now notes that Google’s “Campfire” is the code name for a feature equal to Apple’s Boot Camp on macOS. It would let users run Windows 10 on Chromebooks, and there are even multiple variants under development for the various Chromebook devices on the market.

XDA-Developers also mentions that dual-booting with Windows 10 on Chromebooks will be seamless, not requiring a user to enable developer mode. Unfortunately, some source code suggests that the minimum space for Windows on Chromebooks will be 40GB, so some older Chromebooks might not be able to run Windows 10.

This is not much more than a rumor for now, but it sheds some new light on the divide between ChromeOS and Windows 10. It is unclear when Google will take the wraps off this feature, or which Chromebooks will support it, but the actually has a hardware event in a few weeks. More might develop then, but for now, it’s best to keep tuned for more.

Radu Tyrsina

Radu Tyrsina Shield

Radu Tyrsina has been a Windows fan ever since he got his first PC, a Pentium III (a monster at that time). For most of the kids of his age, the Internet was an amazing way to play and communicate with others, but he was deeply impressed by the flow of information and how easily you can find anything on the web. Prior to founding Windows Report, this particular curiosity about digital content enabled him to grow a number of sites that helped hundreds of millions reach faster the answer they're looking for.