Why Google, why now?

Techdirt asks why Google is building an operating system:

There have been rumors for years that Google might someday release its own operating system, but the announcement that it's turning the Chrome browser into an operating system is an odd duck for a variety of reasons (amusingly, the "Google browser" was also rumored for years before Chrome showed up). Why is it odd?

The first thing they mention is the fact that Android already exists, so Google already has an operating system. (My guess is that it’s something to do with the licensing.)

Of course, if you’re in a hurry to go with a cloud-centric, Google-focused OS, there’s always gOS.