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I wrote an article not too long ago proposing what could be an app ecosystem by a 3rd party inside of Chrome OS made by Samsung. The idea that OEMs could differentiate their Chromebook experiences based on pre-loaded Android apps is an interesting one, but one question remained.
What if I don’t want the manufacturer bloat? On Android, this is a common concern and real problem. What does this mean for Chrome OS?
Well, I have some good news. As I supposed in my earlier article, it looks like anything pre-loaded into a Chromebook by any manufacturer will be completely removable.
We have the Samsung Chromebook 3 in the office for review right now, and on Samsung’s own landing page for this device we see language similar to what we saw on the leaked landing page for the Samsung Chromebook Pro.
Take a look.
What you can see is Samsung referring to AirDroid and Little bridge as ‘Value-Added Software’. I can tell you confidently that these apps uninstalled with 2 clicks just like any other thing installed on a Chromebook.
If you look at the landing page for the Samsung Chromebook Pro, you will see the same language. Sure, they are going to include some stuff and I’m hopeful that they’ll include things that make the overall experience better and more productive.
Either way, you can all rest assured that pre-installed software by Samsung or any other OEM will be removable as it has always been.
To me, this is the best-case scenario. Software that can differentiate but is removable if I don’t want it. I can’t complain.
