The Googlebook work test: Can an Android laptop get the job done?
In a weird way, I’ve been thinking about the idea of a Googlebook for well over a decade now — despite the fact that such a product has only officially existed for a matter of months. I’m relatively unusual in the world of tech journalism, y’see, in that I’ve been both writing about Android and ChromeOS since the platforms’ earliest days and actively using devices from both ends of those…
The Googlebook is a new type of laptop developed by Google and manufactured by various third-party partners, including Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo. It represents an evolution from the Chromebook, a laptop initially launched in 2012 that slowly transformed into an "everything OS" capable of running web apps, Android apps, Linux apps, and even Windows apps for businesses with specific requirements.
However, the Googlebook OS, the operating system that powers the Googlebook, takes a different approach by focusing solely on Android at its core, with optimizations to make it more suitable for a laptop setting.
Using a Googlebook can be a strange and confusing experience, particularly if you're treating it like a regular laptop. The interface closely resembles Android, which is easy to get accustomed to, but it also doesn't quite feel like a traditional desktop computer. Small details, such as the clock's placement in the upper-left corner instead of the lower-right corner, can be disorienting. Keyboard shortcuts differ from ChromeOS and require learning new combinations to navigate the system effectively.
The app experience on the Googlebook primarily revolves around the Google Play Store. While this offers a wide range of apps, it can be both a pro and a con. On one hand, the Play Store provides access to a vast library of applications, making it easy to find tools suited to various tasks. On the other hand, many Android apps may not be ideal or available for productivity-oriented use on a desktop.
Google apps, such as Google Calendar, address this issue by providing a functional experience within the Googlebook environment, but they are not as seamless as their desktop counterparts.
Written by urgent.news from Computerworld's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
