The idea of running Windows-compatible software on another operating system is nothing new. Linux enthusiasts have been doing it for years with the help of Wine, but Wine itself gave rise to proprietary solutions such as CrossOver, developed by the folks at CodeWeavers. With the recent news that several Chromebooks gained access to the Google Play Store (and, by extension, Android apps), CrossOver's goal became clear: run Windows software on Android and Chrome OS. Yes, it works.
If your goal is strictly productivity, you're likely to have luck opening basic Windows tools in Linux environments. Most of the "dirty work", so to speak, falls to Wine, an excellent project that has been with us for about two decades. A very positive aspect is that Wine gave rise to other initiatives, among which CrossOver stands out. As far as we've been able to verify, the relationship between its developer company CodeWeavers and the Wine project is very close, to the point that they hired Alexandre Julliard, Wine's original author, as CTO. One of CodeWeavers' most important projects is a version of CrossOver compatible with Android. This will in the future enable Android devices to run Windows software without hiccups, but there's something extra in the equation: Chrome OS.
From ARC Welder to the Play Store
In April last year we talked about ARC Welder, a technology that enables running Android apps on Chrome. At that time, the state of the code was more than preliminary, and after many rumors, Google confirmed the arrival of the Play Store on Chromebooks. Some of the models mentioned were the Acer R 11, the Asus Flip, and the Chromebook Pixel 2015 onwards.
Steam and Limbo on a Chromebook
This announcement and subsequent launch gave CodeWeavers free rein to use its technical preview of CrossOver Android on the Google Play Store on a Chromebook with Intel hardware, and run nothing less than Steam, where they loaded a session of the fabulous game Limbo. The phrase CodeWeavers used to describe this was "a leprechaun riding a unicorn while taking a photo of a UFO". Honestly, I think they hit the nail on the head.
I admit that the most fervent Chromebook enthusiasts have already managed to run Windows software on Chrome OS before (with the help of Wine and the famous "developer mode"), and that CrossOver still has a lot of work ahead (a critical point will be clarifying its situation with ARM hardware), but that doesn't minimize the app's merit. Windows software via an Android app on Chrome OS. It seems like magic.
