Engineer Behind Google’s Chrome OS Departs for Facebook

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Facebook has poached Matt Papakipos, the lead engineer behind Google’s important Chrome Operating System initiative. Could Facebook have cloud operating system designs of its own? Less clear is how this loss will impact Chrome OS, which is still on track to roll out on netbooks from HP, Acer, Asus, Lenovo and Dell beginning this fall.

Papakipos, who last November introduced Chrome OS as a fast-loading cloud operating system for netbooks, announced the move in a tweet on Twitter June 28: “Now that Chrome OS & WebGL are in good shape, it’s time for something new. I’m going to work @ Facebook!”

Google commented: “Matt made great contributions to Google, and we know he’ll do the same in his next endeavors. We wish him the best.”

How this loss will impact Chrome OS, which is still on track to roll out on netbooks from HP, Acer, Asus, Lenovo and Dell beginning this fall, is unclear.

Google should be careful well-wishing employees leaving for Facebook, which has become Google’s greatest threat on the Web and has lured an alarming number of ex-Google executives and engineers.


To read the original eWeek article, click here: Google Chrome OS Creator Leaves for Facebook

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