We’ve all heard how Aluminum OS is Google’s desktop Android project, and it could replace ChromeOS. Now, we have an idea of which devices will actually run Aluminum OS. During today’s Android Show: I/O edition, Google revealed a new lineup of Android-powered laptops called Googlebooks. To begin with, five partners will be formed, namely Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP and Lenovo. And while we don’t know exactly what the name of the OS powering Googlebooks will be, we do know that it’s built on the Android technology stack.
It’s not just a bigger version of Android that powers your phone — even if it looks similar to Android 16’s desktop mode and Chrome OS user interface. Instead, Google wants to transform the Android operating system into an “intelligent system” with AI. It also sees Android as the sole software experience across phones, watches, tablets, laptops, and even cars. Those are lofty goals, and we can’t say whether Aluminum OS will achieve them or not. If the project is successful, Googlebooks will be the beginning.
Magic pointer suggests features you didn’t need
The desktop cursor is arguably the most important part of a computer operating system – which is why we often turn to traditional laptops and desktops rather than using our mobile devices. The precision of the desktop pointer, combined with the ability to switch to the grabber and text selector depending on the situation, helps streamline workflow and allows you to do things you can’t do with a finger or a stylus. So, does this need to change?
I’m unsure about this, because Google’s take on the desktop cursor isn’t the first attempt to reimagine the tool we’ve seen over the past few years. Apple tried something new with iPadOS by adding a circular and contextual cursor that changes to UI elements on your iPad. It’s a way to bring thoughtful and precise control to a touch-first operating system. For me, it hasn’t quite landed, as it’s not as precise as a traditional cursor or as convenient as using my finger.
Google’s Magic Pointer for Googlebooks is similar in that it is a desktop cursor that is designed to change situationally while you are using your operating system. However, the implementation is very different from iPadOS – the only similarity is the transformative nature of the cursor. Magic Pointer is based on Gemini, and runs on the device to provide instant suggestions based on what you’re doing. It will suggest Gemini-powered actions you can do with the content on your screen in real time.
For example, you can hover your cursor over a date, and the magic pointer may suggest creating a meeting or calendar invitation. Use your cursor to select a pair of images, and Gemini can merge them with the Nano Banana. Magic pointer suggestions are increasingly done using on-device processing, with final actions (like creating an image) uploaded to the cloud for processing.
It’s part of Google’s effort to make AI a central part of its operating system, not a side app you use when you think about it.
I’m interested in the Magic Pointer and I think it can help Googlebooks stand out. Google-powered laptops, like Chromebooks, have always used cloud-based features to limit the amount of processing they actually do on your device. it is How Chromebooks are able to undercut the competition on price, and provide useful devices with low-end hardware. Googlebooks is set to use a mix of on-device and cloud-based AI processing to deliver Gemini Intelligence features directly into your cursor.
Simplicity may be the most important part of the magic pointer. Integrating AI features into your workflow is harder than you might think. You test out a tool like Nano Banana to try it out, but don’t remember using it when imagining a couch in your space. With Magic Pointer, an active reminder of the Gemini Intelligence tool is available on your Googlebook. Some people may not like how much AI is built into a basic feature like the desktop cursor, but others will love it.
