Fuchsia OS
Fuchsia OS
It's disappointing to notice the lack of fresh ideas in the operating systems we rely on every day. Apart from Windows 8, they've stuck to their original design for over two decades. Macintosh continues refining the same layout each time. iOS remains largely unchanged, even with iOS 7, which was touted as a major upgrade but only introduced minor changes. Android has seen just one significant update in recent years—Android Lollipop, an evolution from the previous interface. While new features appear occasionally, they rarely feel revolutionary.
I can now link my Android phone to my Windows desktop, though I must replace my favorite Google apps. Now I can respond to texts on my ChromeBook only if I have Android 8.1 and a Google Pixel—neither is available. When I learned about Fuchsia OS, a brand-new system from Google, built from scratch without relying on Linux's kernel, I was impressed. This time it seems we're moving toward an operating system that truly integrates with modern devices at the system level, suggesting genuine continuity rather than just superficial updates like Cortana's latest tricks.
From various rumors and its recent launch on a PixelBook, it appears Fuchsia will run on both phones and laptops (which already use Chrome OS) and feature a distinctly Google interface—blurry app drawers, white spaces everywhere—but looks appealing. Everyone seems to be shifting toward this unified experience, which I appreciate.
I hope we soon see meaningful innovation from software creators—perhaps a fresh take on Windows, but after Microsoft's past attempts, it feels like the same old approach. All that seems to be new are small tweaks and updated aesthetics. While Android (my personal favorite) has changed its color scheme and settings menu, in four years that might be all they've done.
Yes, I recognize these as incremental improvements. Still, that's what they are—refinements. I'm eager for something genuinely different, like a new Windows design. But at least we're moving in the right direction.
By the way, and based on recent hints, Fuchsia OS is coming soon. 2020–2021: Launch The operating system finally gets a proper UI—probably not perfect yet, but progress. I anticipate more FOS development in the next few years. I/O 2020 likely marks its debut. OCT 2020–2021: Google's hardware launches: New devices will come pre-installed with it, possibly as an option for Android phones. Samsung's latest models could be a strong endorsement if they adapt to the new OS. Full Android support is expected, though it remains uncertain whether it can run on Linux-based devices via OTA updates. Chromebooks should work fine, likely needing only a USB installer like today.
Since Fuchsia runs on the PixelBook, it might support older devices (around 2016), but I doubt this will happen. More likely, it will target newer models sold this year, marking the end of an era for my two favorite OSes.
I'd love to hear your thoughts—would you switch? Do you think the market is stagnant? Thanks for reading, Liam.
2020 is quite a while back, honestly. The UI problems mostly stem from these "modern" designs that feel dull and uninspired. I really don’t like them! One big reason I’m still using W7 is because the Aero looks nice and you can customize it a lot. The W10’s themes are almost gone since many small issues popped up recently, and most developers have stopped working on them.
Linux offers extensive customization options and ready-made layouts. It's more developed than Fuchsia, so you can start experimenting right away. You can also manage messages on a Linux machine, keep notifications in sync, and control your Android phone as a remote using KDEConnect—it's quite straightforward. What you're asking about is essentially how an operating system interacts with the latest hardware at a system level. That’s what an OS is designed to do. If it couldn’t properly recognize and link to devices, they wouldn’t function. Fuchsia runs on a microkernel, which means it connects more closely to hardware compared to Linux or Windows NT, which uses a monolithic kernel. It's unclear how Cortana ensures compatibility across different hardware platforms. I’m uncertain about Google’s intentions for Fuchsia, but it seems unlikely they’ll quickly replace current OSes unless they succeed where others have failed. The main issue with Android isn’t its interface, but the difficulty older phones face in receiving updates—many manufacturers just provide binary drivers instead of contributing to the kernel. This makes upgrading tricky and often leaves devices outdated or unsupported. If your phone is over a year old, you might miss important security patches unless they’re released promptly. Unless Fuchsia eventually replaces Windows, I doubt it will surpass Android in this regard. The advantage Google might gain by adopting Fuchsia is full control over kernel development, which could be advantageous or risky.