Googlebook review finds premium laptops let down by mobile-first software
Google has launched the Googlebook, a premium laptop line that combines ChromeOS-style features with Android underneath. A review of two models finds that strong hardware and quick setup are undermined by software that relies heavily on mobile apps, leaving the machines short of the polish expected at their high prices.
The Acer Googlebook 14 costs £999.99 and weighs 1.14kg, while the 0.99kg Asus model costs £1,199.99; both have 14-inch 3K OLED screens and premium build quality. Googlebooks start at £999 and require at least 16GB of RAM. Android phone apps are widely available, but many are poorly suited to laptops, and even Google’s Calendar, Docs, Files and Chrome have limitations compared with their desktop counterparts.
- Googlebook pairs premium laptop hardware with Android-based software.
- Models reviewed cost £999.99 and £1,199.99.
- Mobile apps and Google services feel underdeveloped for laptops.
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Chromebooks are laptops that run Google’s ChromeOS, while Android is the software used on many mobile phones. Googlebooks combine features of both systems, bringing Android apps to a laptop.
Google is the software maker, and Acer and Asus make the two models described here. Their prices place them in the premium laptop market, where buyers may expect software designed to work smoothly on a larger screen and with a keyboard.
The distinction matters because an app made for a phone may not offer the same features or ease of use on a laptop. Googlebooks’ mix of mobile apps and familiar Google tools therefore affects how useful their hardware is for everyday work.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “Googlebook review: Google’s new laptops are woefully underbaked”.