Skip to main content

Hacker squeezes Google Chromium OS onto iPad

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Considering you can already hack the iPad to run Flash and Windows 95, it should come as little surprise that Chromium OS has finally boosted its way over the fence and into Apple’s walled garden.

YouTube user Hexxeh, who regularly cooks up custom builds of Google’s operating system over at his own site, posted video of the iPad apparently running Chromium OS, the open-source version of Chrome OS. The demo depicts the “Chromepad” running the Chrome browser and responding to touch commands, but doesn’t run long enough to show much else.

Recommended Videos

While the iPad could certainly be robust enough to run Google’s lightweight, Linux-based operating system, skeptics will probably question whether it might be running through a virtual machine, ala this Windows XP demo from April, or even on lookalike iClone hardware from China.

As for the real version of Chrome OS running on officially supported hardware, Acer has already claimed it will be first to market with a netbook, and Google has previously hinted that the first  Chrome OS devices will arrive this fall.

Nick Mokey
As Digital Trends’ Editor in Chief, Nick Mokey oversees an editorial team covering every gadget under the sun, along with…
My first week with the iPad mini (2024) was fantastic and frustrating
Rear shell view of the 2024 iPad mini.

The iPad mini is arguably the most polarizing product in Apple’s portfolio. There’s a segment of die-hard fans that would pick it over any other device in its class, and then there’s another group that can’t quite figure out what exactly it can deliver in terms of meaningful utility.

Reading? Check. Is it good for note-taking? It’s probably the world’s best little diary. What about gaming? It can blaze past the best titles out there. All that excellence can be yours for a cool $500, at the very minimum.

Read more
iOS 18.2: How to use Genmoji and Image Playground
iPhone 16 Pro Max in Desert Titanium.

The second wave of Apple Intelligence features are coming later this year in iOS 18.2, and with the first developer betas now available, they're ready for early adopters to try out. While iOS 18.1 brought mostly text-based AI tools, the iOS 18.2 betas unveil the more fun and visually creative elements of Image Playground and Genmoji, as well as unlock ChatGPT integration, Visual Intelligence for the iPhone 16 lineup, and the expansion of Apple Intelligence to more English languages.

Read more
Save $50 on the iPad Air M2, and prep for Apple Intelligence
A person holding the iPad Air M2.

There are always tablet deals hovering around, you just need to know where to look for them. Fortunately, one savings haven for mobile tech you can always count on is Best Buy. You’ll find markdowns on everything from Samsung Galaxy devices and Google Pixel hardware to Apple’s iPad lineup. As a matter of fact, we came across the following iPad offer while looking through Best Buy deals:

Right now, when you purchase the 11-inch iPad Air M2 at Best Buy, you’ll spend $550. At full price, this model sells for $600.

Read more