Thing is, back around the early days of Android Google offered a online dev environment that could sideload APKs to phones. I think it was based on Scratch.

But they have since handed the whole project over to MIT.

Frankly Android could have been a computer in our pockets, and i get the feel Rubin wanted to take it in that direction.

But around the time of 3.x-4.0 there was pressure from elsewhere in Google to take in a more iOS direction. We see this with the introduction of music and video into the then named Android Marketplace (later renamed Google Play).

And then there was the whole push towards ChromeOS as the choice of businesses, complete with Citrix being a launch day demo.

Only in the last few years have Google done an about face regading Android. Both with Android apps coming to ChromeOS, and with various functionality being added to Android to make it more business friendly.