Google not developing Chrome for touchscreen use?

Posted by Katherine Hannaford on Fri 20 Nov 2009

If you want to use a Google platform on a touchscreen device, get an Android netbook instead

With Windows 7 being touchscreen compatible, it's only fair to assume that Google's new Chrome OS will be offered on a few of their own-branded touchscreen devices, right? Wrong, according to Google's Chrome OS product manager, Anders Sandholm, who told TechRadar that touchscreens aren't a Chrome priority.

"Right now the focus is on optimising for someone being on the web and on today's netbooks," Sandholm told TechRadar, adding that "I'm sure that something is being discussed, but I'm not exactly sure what the outcome is going to be."

Instead, they're going to watch other manufacturers closely and see how far the touchscreen market progresses, before investing any support for it, Sandholm claims.

With manufacturers such as ASUS, HP and Lenovo getting in on touchscreen computing, Google could find that a year on, when Chrome launches on non-touchscreen devices, consumers just aren't interested. Particularly if Apple launches the oft-rumoured OLED tablet.

Link: (via TechRadar)