Google is combining its Chrome OS software, which powers its Chromebooks, with Android, its smartphone operating system, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. Google plans to released the combined software in 2017.

Google’s Chromebooks only accounted for 3 percent of laptop sales last year, but remain best sellers on Amazon. Inexpensive, light and featuring long battery life, the Chromebooks have limitations as PC or full laptop replacements. They have limited internal memory on their solid state drives and run only the Chrome browser. Users have to work in the cloud via Google docs or other cloud-based office apps.

Cheaper models selling for under $150 appeared this year. Personally, we have used Chromebooks for the last two years. They’re light and nearly indestructible and work online or off. They do have some glitches Google has apparently not fixed, such as a tendency to start dropping wireless connections, a problem Google acknowledged in 2012 but which persists for some users.

As a Chromebook user, we think integration with Android would be useful because of the huge number of Android apps it would make available, extending the usefulness of the device. Reports say the change will also result in a new name for Chromebooks.

Android, acquired by Google in 2005, not only powers smartphones, but also car dashboards, smartwatches, and tablets. The OS runs on four of five smartphones in the world.