I’m incredibly excited for the launch of Google’s Googlebook initiative, which is set to bring the Android platform to the PC space in an official capacity sometime this fall. Googlebooks will be a unique proposition in that they’ll meld together Android’s mobile properties with the plumbing that makes Chromebooks viable in so many contexts.
Personally, I’ve already decided that I’m going to be an early Googlebook adopter. The laptop and desktop computing space is in need of some fresh competition, and a hybridized Android + ChromeOS operating system is just what the doctor ordered.
Here are three reasons why, even though we’ve yet to officially see Googlebook hardware in the flesh, I’m planning on picking up a model on the very first day that they go on sale later this year.
Googlebooks will avoid the pitfall of legacy PC cruft
A streamlined operating system with mobile roots
Owing to its Android-based underpinnings, the Googlebook platform will be lean and optimized by definition. Android rose up in the era of mobile devices, where being lightweight was an absolute necessity to stave off power consumption. This is in contrast to legacy operating systems like Windows and macOS that came to be in the desktop age, at a time when power consumption was less of a concern.
Android also lacks much of the legacy cruft that plagues Windows-powered PCs in particular. There’s no Control Panel hanging around in the background, there’s no obsolete programs stowed away in the system image, and there’s no independent software installers mucking things up without your knowledge. Simply put, Android is leaner, meaner, and far more efficient, which should translate well into the PC context.
Googlebooks will run full-fledged desktop Chrome
Access to extensions, plug-ins, and more
Googlebooks are set to harness the power of ChromeOS, which equates to access to the full-fat Chrome web browser. This is the same Chrome that already runs on PCs and Macs, complete with extensions and plug-ins, multi-tab management, and no layout limitations when rendering complex websites.
For the most part, I do much of my work in a web browser these days, and so having access to a proper desktop-class setup is of the utmost importance. With the Googlebook platform, I’ll be able to have my cake and eat it too: a mobile work environment that doesn’t sacrifice power and flexibility.
Googlebooks will come in a variety of shapes and sizes
Plenty of options to choose from
Google has already announced that it’s partnering with a variety of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to develop and release Googlebooks, including Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo. With this in mind, there will be plenty of diversity in hardware offerings for the platform, with different devices to suit individual needs and preferences.
Personally, I’m a big tablet computer fan, and so I hope to see 2-in-1 detachable Googlebook devices hit the market sooner rather than later. In my eyes, tablets offer ultimate flexibility when computing, and the hybridization of Android and ChromeOS is sure to fit the tablet PC space like a glove.
Googlebooks will usher in Gemini Intelligence
I can’t wait to check out Magic Pointer
Google is talking a big game with its new Gemini Intelligence feature set, which it says is smarter and more proactive than previous incarnations of Gemini artificial intelligence. Google also says that Googlebooks are the very first laptops designed “from the ground up” for Gemini Intelligence, so as to “deliver personal and proactive help when and where you need it.”
Of particular note is Magic Pointer, which is a feature that offers contextually aware AI suggestions the moment you wiggle your Googlebook cursor on screen. I’m excited to test out the feature, as it looks to be a genuinely useful tool that works similar to Microsoft’s Click to Do (which I use regularly on my Windows 11 PC). Create your Widget is also confirmed to be coming to Pixelbooks, which will let you AI-generate your own dashboard widgets — another feature I can’t wait to try out for myself.
Googlebooks will bring with them a signature look
Say hello to the glowbar
Google has teased that every Googlebook device will launch with a built-in glowbar. In short, the glowbar is a strip of multicolored LEDs that will illuminate in Google’s signature color palet of Red, Blue, Yellow, and Green. We don’t yet have concrete details on whether the glowbar will serve a purpose beyond aesthetic appeal, but I reckon it’ll pulse as you interact with Gemini, as well as flash subtly while receiving incoming notifications.
I love the concept of the glowbar, as it adds a pop of much-needed personality to the computing experience. Not only does the feature harken back to the days of the Chromebook Pixel (which had a glowing light bar of its own), but it also matches up perfectly with HiLight — Google’s pulsating RGB feature found on the latest Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold handsets.
