There’s no doubt that in 10 years’ time Googlebooks will be on every desk that doesn’t have a Mac, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions. Announced at this month’s Android Show I/O edition, the basic pitch is quite simple: an Android-powered laptop built around Gemini intelligence and tight phone-to-laptop integration. Seems like pretty common sense, right?
There are some confirmed features to help fill out the outline. The Magic Pointer is a Gemini-powered cursor that provides context when you rotate it, while Cast My Apps should let Android 17 users access phone apps on Googlebook without having to download them again. These features and more seem really useful if they work cleanly, but we’re still missing out on the boring-but-important stuff. Google hasn’t given us specific details, definite launch dates, or, most importantly, price ranges.
We’re still missing out on the boring-but-important stuff.
The first Googlebooks are expected from Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, and Lenovo this autumn. Samsung is the obvious missing name, and Google’s hardware hints so far are still pretty extensive. The company has mentioned premium materials, different form factors and a signature glowbar on the lid. Google has since said that cheaper models are also planned, but the first wave is still being framed as “super premium”, which doesn’t exactly give the impression of affordability.
So, with Googlebooks looking interesting but still a little blurry, we asked our readers if you’re excited about Google’s new laptop range. Here’s how over 7,000 of you voted.
As the chart showed, there was no clear consensus in the election results. More than 31% of you have already bought into the concept and are excited about Googlebooks, but a little more than 33% need to see more first. 20% of respondents were skeptical, while about 15% of you have already decided against the concept.
There will always be a section on Google Stance, but the results clearly show that most voters are not ready to buy into Googlebooks yet. If we combine skeptics with those waiting for more information, more than half of respondents are still waiting to be convinced. And who can blame them? Google’s sales pitch may be quite attractive, but without ballpark figures for hardware specifications or prices, it’s hard to call Googlebooks a success or failure at this stage. Virtually any laptop in the world can seem like a bargain or an over-hyped waste of money, depending on how much value you place on it.
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Our survey was run on three Googlebooks articles, and some of you took to the comments section to expand on your answers or generally contribute. Some readers were already worried about what Googlebooks might mean for Chromebooks. Reader TheStreamingAdvisor said, “They’ll stop making Chromebooks. Trust it,” and rdburke agreed, saying, “There will be no more development of Chromebooks.”
Others focused on the practical details that were left out. Commenter Mushroomfleet summed up the issue by saying, “It won’t come cheap, positioned above Chromebooks (obviously) but with no specifications.” MatthewMBG8 said he expected Googlebooks to have “real cool features like the Snapdragon X Elite Gen 2.” As we’ve seen, Google can talk about ecosystem play all it wants, but these laptops still have to be good at being laptops.
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