I waited years for Googlebooks, but I wish I hadn’t

The original Google Pixelbook is one of my favorite laptops. Myself and others used it as our primary laptops for years. But, sadly, I eventually couldn’t use mine for work anymore. The aging i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage weren’t up to the task anymore, and neither was the battery. On top of that, I needed to use software that wasn’t available on ChromeOS.

For years, I have held out for when Google would make another premium laptop. Googlebooks could have been what I’d waited for. They aren’t.

When I heard that Google was making Googlebooks, I made some assumptions. I assumed that creating a new product category meant these new laptops would be a major departure from any Chromebook that came before. I was excited about powerful hardware and software capable of more than simple word processing, web browsing, and media consumption.

You see, the aging hardware wasn’t the only reason I stopped using my Pixelbook for work. Software had become an issue as well. Editing photos, creating hero images, and handling all the files I created were either a chore or not possible on ChromeOS. I’ve also long had the aspiration of making video content, and while I haven’t yet, a Chromebook wouldn’t be useful for that. My assumption that Googlebooks would address this was unfounded.

Instead of doing something that will motivate developers to port apps to a new operating system or making first-party tools to compete with them, Google has taken ChromeOS, slapped a new name on it, and doused the whole thing in AI.

I know that’s not technically true — Googlebooks run Android, not ChromeOS, but it doesn’t feel like there’s a meaningful difference. The standout feature Google showed off was the Magic Pointer, which lets you wiggle your mouse to summon some impressive-looking AI features. But that alone doesn’t justify creating a new platform and fragmentation in Google’s laptop ecosystem. Magic Pointer isn’t even exclusive to Googlebooks, so you can’t even call it a selling point for the new OS.

Like a Chromebook, a Googlebook will run web apps, Android apps, and possibly Linux apps. Google hasn’t mentioned Linux support for Googlebooks yet, but for now I’ll assume they will.

There are many great Android apps, and the plethora of Linux software is incredible. But in my experience, even with a newer Chromebook that I tried last year, it doesn’t match what you can get on Windows or Mac. There’s no Lightroom, and while you can install the Linux version of DaVinci Resolve, it’s far from a pleasant experience. In fact, the Linux experience on ChromeOS has been messy overall. One minute, Google is pushing gaming Chromebooks and Steam support, and the next, the gaming storefront is dropping said support.

Android apps aren’t much better. Google has been fighting a losing battle to get Android developers to make their apps work well on tablets and foldables for years. What are the chances it’ll be more successful at convincing devs to properly support a mouse, keyboard, and other laptop features? From what we’ve seen so far, Googlebooks aren’t the revolution I’ve been waiting years for. They’re nothing more than an evolution.

With that in mind, I can’t see why Googlebooks exist as a premium device category. Google hasn’t said how much Googlebooks will cost. But based on how many times it used the word premium, and the hardware we know some will have, I expect them to be expensive.

Without useful software to make the most of the minimum of 12GB of RAM and a Snapdragon chipset, what’s the point? I’d be surprised if a Googlebook is as affordable as a MacBook Neo, and that can run all macOS software even on its relatively meager hardware. Word processing, browsing the web, and watching Netflix don’t need premium specs, and the AI features that might be aren’t enough on their own to make it worthwhile. The only thing that would make some of those things better is a high-quality display and keyboard, but there’s no reason those things couldn’t exist on an affordable Chromebook.

I know this might seem hypercritical from someone who paid £1,000 for the original Pixelbook. But back then, cheaper Chromebooks weren’t a pleasant experience, and the Pixelbook — with its gorgeous design and display — was. I was also buying into the idea that Google would make ChromeOS so much more than a glorified web browser. It didn’t.

After years of waiting, Googlebooks are already disappointing me, and I’m not going to spend money on a device in the hopes it will one day be able to do what I need it to. The years I put off buying a laptop in the hopes Google would do the impossible feel wasted. That’s more my fault for having unreasonable expectations than Google’s.

In the end, I wish I’d bought a Mac years ago.