Android is the best and worst thing about Googlebooks
News Source
β’2026-10-12T10:00:00-04:00
π° What Happened
A reviewer tested two new Googlebooks, laptops built around Android instead of ChromeOS, from Asus and HP. The verdict: Android is both the best and the worst thing about them.
The good part is that the laptops run Android apps and feel familiar to Android phone users. Android has a huge selection of apps.
The bad part is that Android was not designed for laptops. The review points to clunky notifications, casting and file sharing that stop the devices from feeling finished.
π The Backstory
Chromebooks have used Google's ChromeOS for years and are popular in classrooms. Googlebooks are a new wave of laptops that run Android, the software used by most phones.
Running phone software on a big screen can be awkward, because apps are built for touch screens and smaller layouts.
Google and its partners are testing whether Android can take on Windows laptops and Apple's MacBooks in a market where software quality matters.
π― Why It Matters
If you are shopping for a cheap laptop, the software matters as much as the hardware. These new Android laptops are promising but not yet smooth.
A reviewer tested two new Googlebooks, laptops built around Android instead of ChromeOS, from Asus and HP. The verdict: Android is both the best and the worst thing about them.
The good part is that the laptops run Android apps and feel familiar to Android phone users. Android has a huge selection of apps.
The bad part is that Android was not designed for laptops. The review points to clunky notifications, casting and file sharing that stop the devices from feeling finished.
Chromebooks have used Google's ChromeOS for years and are popular in classrooms. Googlebooks are a new wave of laptops that run Android, the software used by most phones.
Running phone software on a big screen can be awkward, because apps are built for touch screens and smaller layouts.
Google and its partners are testing whether Android can take on Windows laptops and Apple's MacBooks in a market where software quality matters.
If you are shopping for a cheap laptop, the software matters as much as the hardware. These new Android laptops are promising but not yet smooth.