Google and Microsoft are out to stop dual-boot Windows/Android devices

Google and Microsoft are out to stop dual-boot Windows/Android devices

Asus is the current target of their ire.

Ron Amadeo – Mar 14, 2014 12:40 pm | 134

We've seen numerous companies announce devices that boot Android and some flavor of Windows, but very few of them ever hit the market. Just yesterday, Huawei announced that it was switching its Windows Phones to dual-OS Windows Phone/Android devices, which would launch in the second quarter of this year. Samsung announced the Ativ Q dual-boot convertible nine months ago, and we never heard about it again. One of the few companies actually shipping dual-boot hardware is Asus, which offers a convertible tablet/laptop and a few all-in-one PCs.

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Microsoft and Google are both out to stifle any device that doesn't have a firm allegiance to either Android or Windows. The report says that both companies have told Asus to end its dual-OS product lines and that Asus is complying. The WSJ says Asus' newest dual-boot product, the Transformer Book Duet TD300, which we wrote about during CES 2014, will never see the light of day. Asus' all-in-one PCs, the Transformer AiO P1801 and P1802, will be pulled from the market.

Both companies have reasons to want to stop dual-boot devices. Windows 8 is under pressure with its desktop, and Microsoft does not want Android to get a foothold there. Android dominates smartphones, and Google doesn't want Windows Phone paired with Android. Both companies have ways of making OEMs comply with their wishes. Microsoft provides PC OEMs with marketing funds, which the report says are an "important economic force" in the low-margin PC business. Companies that aren't on board with Microsoft's vision could have their money dry up. While the base of Android is open source, the Play Store, Google Maps, and other Google apps needed to make a viable smartphone are under Google's control. Companies that don't comply with Google's requests might not get the apps they need to have a competitive product.

The report seems to indicate that Microsoft is unhappy that Android would be packaged with both Windows 8 and Windows Phone, which is interesting given that Microsoft has an upcoming Windows Phone update that supports on-screen buttons, which would mean Android hardware could be reused for Windows Phone. Apparently switching OSes in the factory is OK, but allowing consumers to do so at will is a step too far.

The objections from Microsoft and Google are a big blow for Intel, whose x86 architecture is the only chip that can run Android next to the full version of Windows 8. The report states that Intel's plan around this is to help OEMs ship PCs and tablets to distribution channels with no OS pre-installed. The device could then be loaded with the desired OS when a customer orders a system.

The report makes no mention of the Asus Transformer Book Trio, a Windows 8/Android laptop currently on sale. The Trio might escape Microsoft and Google's wrath by actually being two completely separate computers disguised as a single laptop. The bottom of the laptop/tablet hybrid runs Windows 8, and the top is a tablet that runs Android. The Trio has two of everything—the top and bottom have separate CPUs, RAM, storage, cameras, and network connectivity, but the two halves connect laptop-style and share the screen and keyboard. It will be interesting to keep an eye on that Amazon link and see if it disappears soon.

All of this ignores the fact that dual-OS devices are always terrible products. Windows and Android almost never cross-communicate, so any dual-OS device means dealing with separate apps, data, and storage pools and completely different UI paradigms. So from a consumer perspective, Microsoft and Google are really just saving OEMs from producing tons of clunky devices that no one will want. Giving consumers a choice of OS is great, but they only need to make the choice once: at the time of purchase.