r/chromeos • u/koken_halliwell • 2d ago
Googlebook What are your opinions on Googlebooks after what we've seen till now?
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u/cohenbs 2d ago
Let’s be honest: if Google is going to price the Googlebook on a par with Windows and Mac computers and position it as a direct competitor, its operating system should be far more mature. It should also offer tablet-optimized apps, such as Microsoft Office. I’m genuinely surprised that Google’s CEO thought this was acceptable.
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u/koken_halliwell 2d ago
Microsoft Office doesn't depend on Google but on Microsoft and they won't do anything to favor Googlebooks but the opposite. I agree in everything else though. Try Collabora Office from the PlayStore if you don't like the Google Office suite BTW; it's literally LibreOffice for Android.
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u/LoafyLemon 2d ago
My opinion is that the system is not for gamers, it's not for developers, and it's not for everyday users given the price... So, who is it for, really?
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u/SteveNYC Acer 516 GE (1st Gen) 1d ago
It's for people who want seamless integration between their Android phones and a laptop. It has one primary job and out-of-the-box it doesn't do that well at all. It's a botched release and it's niche use-case just became ever more niche. Just not good at all.
It should have been a rock solid experience for Android phone users from day-one and all of the other things that you mentioned, gaming, development, everyday usage.... would grow it's appeal as it worked its way through further maturity.
Nope.
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u/Nivloc1227 2d ago
If you're an advanced user of the Chrome browser (drag and drop, split-screen, right-click, multiple user accounts, etc) and you use the tote feature, you'll be very frustrated with the Googlebook. It is not a Chromebook upgrade. If you love your Chromebook because it's simple, and intuitive, the Googlebook will not be an upgrade.
If you are an ultra sized tablet, with a keyboard, user, but want a browser that can do slightly more, then it may be a good fit?
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u/MaximumDerpification 2d ago
Seems like early adopters are paying a premium to be beta testers.
I like the idea of Googlebooks but I'm going to wait for this platform to mature before I even consider buying.
Imagine if Google had worked with Valve to have Steam running on it from day 1...
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u/jortony 2d ago
I bought the Asus for my wife and the XPS for myself.
We're both very happy 😁
They integrates very well with Google ecosystems. The hardware is excellent quality. Antigravity running native on Android backed with a Debian VM is phenomenal in terms of features, integrations, and capabilities.
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u/KeithIMyers Multiple Devices | All of the above 2d ago
The term "Half Baked" comes to mind, I am still sticking with it though and will hopefully see the platform evolve
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u/wrwill98502 2d ago
I'm a longtime Chromebook user. I bought a Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 last spring because it was rumored to be eligible for "Aluminum OS" when it arrived.
I'll wait it out. It's a great Chromebook, I got a deal on it, and if it has to stay a Chromebook because the new OS is a flop, I'm fine with that.2
u/KeithIMyers Multiple Devices | All of the above 2d ago
I won't say it's going to be a flop, I just feel it's not ready for primetime. The OS needs polish. This is more of a developer preview than anything right now.
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u/LoafyLemon 1d ago
Developer preview with a thousand quid price tag attached to it. Let's call it what it is - a cash grab.
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u/KeithIMyers Multiple Devices | All of the above 1d ago
Early adopters always pay more for things,.the opposite is rare - products tend to get cheaper over time but always start out high. It is not a cash grab, if that were the case they would have just released a line of premium Chromebooks.
I have a long history of being s early adoptor and paying a lot of money for it. I paid over $1,500 for Google Glass, I spend a lot of money on buying the most premium phone on the market (currently typing this on the Samsung Tri-Fold, I got it on launch day and you can get it for $800 less used). There are countless other examples.
As a developer, I also willingly purchased 4 different Googlebooks with my own money so I can make sure my software works. Yes it is my hope that spending close to $5,000 in the past 5 days pays off in a few weeks but there is always a risk.
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u/Mission_Count5301 2d ago edited 2d ago
From a hardware perspective, it's a complete blah.
With Googlebooks, Google is trying to create quality rules because it can't trust its third party vendors to produce decent products. So it now has some minimal standards.
One of the biggest problems that Google faced was the lack of quality Chromebooks. Some years, yes, some years, no. That was one of the reasons it created the Pixelbook, and Pixelbook Go -- to try to raise standards by example. Now, Google has decided that it's best approach is to force minimum standards.
Fine. From specs alone, it looks like a better product but it's nothing that already doesn't exist for other OS systems.
I own the Samsung OLED Chromebook. Came out in 2025. Colors, blacks and white, look good. Well built. But like Chromebooks generally, it cuts corners. In this case, no touchscreen and 1080. Now, it's out-of-date under Googlebook specs. (This is probably the 10th chromebook I've purchased over the years).
The Chromebook hardware environment, with few exceptions, has been a disappointment from day one. A lot of us spent money chasing better laptops with hardware specs you could find for Windows but not Chome.
So, I think for longtime users, it's almost impossible to get excited or interested in anything Google does at this point.
I'm sure -- if Google can succeed with its OS plans and keep its hardware standards up-to-date -- that Googlebooks may have a good future. But it's not because Google has done something wonderful.
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u/koken_halliwell 2d ago
I think they literally went from one extreme to another: from allowing 4GB Chromebooks to be sold (I don't even know why allowed that from the moment they added Android to the OS) to IMO overpriced/overpowerful devices on Googlebooks (they barely do anything Chomebooks don't at this moment, or at least barely anything the real user wants/needs).
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u/Mission_Count5301 2d ago
Good point. They cost $900 plus. That's Windows and Apple territory. What I would be worried about it is people look at the cost, look at Apple and Windows, and decide, "well, maybe they weren't so bad" and migrated back to those systems. If the Googlebook line doesn't deliver what the vendors want, will they stick with it? Will Google?
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u/Daniel_Herr Pixelbook, Pixel Slate - https://danielherr.software 2d ago
4GB Chromebooks will run fine if Android is disabled. And even besides consumers I imagine a lot of schools and businesses don't use Android.
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u/questionname 2d ago
That Samsung Chromebook, it’s Achilles heel is probably the lack of NPU. And many sold was with 8gb of ram. Making it almost certainly out of date per what you said.
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u/Beauchang 1d ago
Well now that Googlebook has shown its face in public, I will stand by my original thought to stick with my HP Chromebook X2 for its last year of updates. I have friends and relatives in the advertising and marketing professions and it was pretty obvious to me from the heavy emphasis on the nice hardware from Google that the software was weak, Given that Android has been around for a long time now, all the apps should have been able to work flawlessly. This "well it's new and things take time " excuse making , is rather thin. The android first approach did not just pop up overnight for this new hardware. It will be a shame if this over time wipes out the Chromebook option completely. It is truly a niche product for folks whose work requires a lot of phone and computer interaction and many reports indicate that this was somewhat clunky.
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u/Limekill bunch of sticks 2d ago
I regret just not buying a macbook air.
Unless you are a gamer (or have some specific software) I see no need to go windows for most buyers (and zero reason for googlebooks UNLESS they heavily invested in google ecosystem).
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u/Tired8281 Pixelbook | Stable 2d ago
Killed by Google before end 2027. They wanted to avoid the 'they're all trash and do too little' pitfall, but ended up falling into the 'they're too expensive and don't do enough' pitfall. They should have released a full lineup at launch, and they didn't, and that's going to define the platform.
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u/koken_halliwell 2d ago
Agreed. I think they should've just migrated the current Chromebooks to this even instead if it did less things at launch but at least they would be done ok and a there would be a lot of users running the new OS already.
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u/KyleHusker 2d ago
I got the Dell XPS googlebook two days ago and as soon as the football game is over I am going to Best Buy to return this piece of trash. Google should be mortified as they released a product that is truly just half baked. A huge future that they hyped was "seamless integration with Galaxy newer phones". I have a Galaxy Z fold 8 which I love but Google told us that the syncing (if it actually works) it will sync everything but now they are saying in the coming weeks or months. I hope that there isn't a huge line to return but this is the single worst piece of tech I've ever purchased.
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u/Limekill bunch of sticks 2d ago
wont it sync by the end of October?
thats when android 17 will be released on the galaxy phones.
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u/LouCap 2d ago
I was very excited for the launch, but now I'm content with waiting for them to go on sale. From what I've been reading here, there should be some nice Open Box units for sale at discount soon.
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u/millenniumxl-200 2d ago
I was very excited for the launch, but now I'm content with waiting for them to go on
saleclearance.(When Google decides to abandon the project). /s
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u/neverJamToday 2d ago
Solidified my desire to move on from Chromebooks to greener pastures and extricate myself from the ever deepening pit of Google's ecosystem.
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u/Shidell 2d ago
What greener pastures are you referring to?
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u/Opening-Calendar3421 2d ago
Macbook Neo. Got one for my wife and I've used it a bit. I'm impressed. I'm not an Apple fanboy in any way, when I was younger I used to staunchly avoid them. But there's something nice about a product that just works.
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u/koken_halliwell 2d ago
Probably because the current apps consume much more resources than years ago (like browsers, etc). Also better UI/effects = more resources consumer.
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u/mafco 2d ago
I've had an Acer googlebook for five days now. I'm definitely happy with it. The phone integration, Gemini and rambler features are really cool. I expected some glitches, missing apps and such given the newness and I don't mind putting up with these things for a while. I'm waiting for developers to start releasing desktop-class apps running in native android.
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u/koken_halliwell 2d ago
IMO they should've worked with them for at least 2 years before releasing the OS.
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u/mafco 2d ago
I disagree. The OS is mostly complete and getting them into the hands of developers early means we'll start seeing desktop-class apps earlier.
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u/Limekill bunch of sticks 2d ago
With zero sales?
With googles history of canceling products?Why would any Manager allow their team to take their team off MacOS/Windows to go to a new system that would be lucky to sell 20million devices in its first year?
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u/CptHammer_ 2d ago
Would you like it if you didn't use Gemini.
I really hate everything about Gemini. I've disabled the Google app on my phones because it no longer functions in any capacity without Gemini.
I don't mind AI helping me "find that one photo I kinda remember" but stay inside that app, sandboxed to that one time I used it. I hardly used assistant mostly because it barely assisted.
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u/mafco 2d ago
I actually find the heavy Gemini integration a big help in organizing my life and researching obscure topics. I've been a Gemini Pro subscriber for more than a year. Rambler is a killer feature IMHO. But even without that the phone integration is also a big selling point for me. And when desktop class android apps begin to appear that will be frosting on the cake. I also love the hardware quality. Everything works smoothly and effortlessly, and the OLED display is beautiful.
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u/Technical_Rich_3080 1d ago
My opinion is that it's currently in its infancy and will grow very much yet in capabilities.
Don't buy yet. Wait a year.
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u/grooves12 2d ago
I feel like all of this marketing and confusion around messaging was completely unnecessary for a half-baked product. What they essentially did is updated Chrome on Android to a full stack and almost nothing else.
This is NOT a new OS, it is NOT revolutionary, and their overhyping of this was a massive mistake and may end up being the reason the platform fails, because the massive negativity around the platform at launch can't be undone.
Combine that with the high pricing, and these are likely to be massive failures at retail and the OEMs are going to end up losing a lot of money on this release cycle. I'm willing to bet we see massive discounts on the launch devices, probably as early as Black Friday, and these models will all be discontinued in under 6 months. They MAY be replaced with midrange devices, but that is going to depend on what Google sees as the future for this platform and their contracts with the OEMs.
Now the question is will Google and the OEMs have the fortitude to keep pushing through if (when) that happens? Do we end up back on the race to the bottom we have seen with Chromebooks?
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u/Limekill bunch of sticks 1d ago
The issue is that these need 16GB and a NPU. That aint cheap.
Google NEEDS to sell its premium ai services, so it won't drop the price.
Part of its big plan is to offload ai demand (ai calls) to the local NPU/Ram.
So how will be a race to the bottom?Macbook Neo now owns the bottom of the market.
When they come out with 12GB Neo2 its over for any laptop maker near the bottom.2
u/grooves12 1d ago
Apple is unlikely to come out with an 12GB variant, because they don't have to. They aren't impacted by the RAM crisis in the same way as other OEMs because their CPUs use on-due RAM and they locked down fab contracts way before the data center boom.
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u/Limekill bunch of sticks 1d ago edited 1d ago
Apple is unlikely to come out with an 12GB
I am unsure why you think this, because this has been the major rumour for Neo2 ever since the neo came out.
Apple will use A20 PRO CPU which have 12GB of Ram in Neo2 (which are the same chips used in the iphone 18 pro which have been announced with... 12GB of Ram), just like the Neo used an A18 PRO and had 8GB.
because they don't have to
They need more head room to run 'apple intelligence'/upgraded siri - hence why they are using 12GB. So they do have to.
eg. 8GB for OS/Apps + 4GB for their 3B parameter LLM model which uses around 4GB
(which is simlar to googles own E4B model).
Quote: "Anything larger drains the battery and eats too much RAM, while anything smaller lacks the smarts to follow basic instructions."Ipad gen12 can have 8GB with apple intelligence because of its aggressive freezing of background apps, but macOS is not built on the same system architecture.
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u/TaquitoConnoisseur23 2d ago
Most of the supposed "oh wow" features are things I'm already doing on my Chromebook. This feels like a bungled rebranding more than anything.
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u/DropEng ASUS CM34 :asus: Lenovo 2d ago
I like my google book. I submit feedback as I come across challenges. I keep in mind that this just came out, that I am basically a tester for them at this point and I am ok with that. I am a huge ChromeOS fan, love ChromeOS, and my preference is we keep both in the future.
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u/vssavant2 Device | Channel Version 2d ago
I feel like this is a cash grab from the rubberbanding of tech in Education being pulled back, causing chromebooks to have a stigma on them.
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u/plankunits 2d ago
Can you blame them? Chromebooks have developed a reputation for being inexpensive and underpowered. While I am a fan of the platform, the integration of features from Android is very slow; for instance, it took two years for Quick Share to arrive on Chromebooks after its launched on Android. Many other features remain unavailable on the platform as well. Additionally, there have been rumors regarding the potential release of mass market "Googlebook" devices in the $600 to $800 price range.
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u/Limekill bunch of sticks 2d ago
Those cheap googlebooks will require 16GB of Ram and a NPU.
I doubt they will get much cheaper as the cost of ram continues to get higher and higher.Why would I get any googlebooks when I can just get a macbook neo for $600.
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u/plankunits 1d ago
Why would you get a MacBook when you can a windows laptop which is more capable for the same price. MacBook can't even play many games and can't use many windows apps.
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u/Limekill bunch of sticks 1d ago edited 1d ago
at 8GB - how many windows machines can run games good? Hell at that point you are looking at a graphics card with VRAM and then you are looking at $1,300 machine.
If you want games - buy a PS5 and play on your TV!
GTA6 on a 14 inch monitor vs 65inch TV - dont make me laugh.
Unless you are going to LAN parties - where are you taking the laptop to play games???Secondly build quality on neo is WAY better than any shit that has a windows badge on it - case in point lenovo flex line, which I would argue is a step up in pricing compared to the Neo.
Add in the edu discount and it kills Windows.Thirdly Apple has all the creative apps, can run all the browser apps, has ms office which is all useful for students.
Fourthly the Neo can last years and years. I have a macbook air from 2013.
Use the savings of not upgrading to a new windows machine everything 3 years (or less) and use the savings to buy a PS5.Finally macs do have Crossover so some games are playable.
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u/koken_halliwell 2d ago edited 2d ago
While most people who criticize Chromebooks never even had one, there are things that are true:
Google has allowed companies to sell devices with shitty specs (devices with 4GB of RAM for instance). Minimum standards should've raised from the very first moment they added Android.
We're running Google's OS and we can't even have multiaccount on the browser, and we're the last ones to receive browser updates as well.
Browser updates require OS reboot.
And again, we're using Google's OS and Chromebooks don't even have the latest Android version on the OS. Actually most of them are running Android 11 and a few ones Android 13, while the last one is 17.
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u/Chiguy4321 2d ago
Incredible hardware, builds, screens but pointless OS. I hate windows but after being a diehard Pixelbook user for over a decade I don't understand why anyone would want to surrender their entire Data sovereignty to Google. When thousands of these devices flood FB marketplace I will buy one and slap Linux on it.
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u/chartupdate 2d ago
The answer to your question is that the average person doesn't give two hoots about "data sovereignty". Most couldn't even spell it.
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u/Mr_Loopers 2d ago
When did I get my Asus Transformer, and Transformer Prime? Like 10 or 15 years ago? Running Honeycomb probably? Back then I thought this was the direction Google laptops would, and should go, but instead of brushing up Android, or even giving the Play Store more labeling, and categories for apps that worked well on tablets, and laptops, (and TV, and with game controllers!) they went more heavily into Chromebooks. So by now I'm mostly just surprised by how far behind the platform is for this kind of use.
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u/Limekill bunch of sticks 2d ago edited 2d ago
certainly the wrong way to go.
They had a chance with Honeycomb 4.0 and then proceeded to give 100% of it to apple.
That was 15 years ago.
Can you imagine a desktop androidOS with 15 years of development?Instead Apple sold 700MILLION ipads and 300MILLION macbooks = 1 billion devices.
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u/Desperate_Creme_8623 2d ago
Liked the idea at first. Android on a laptop, that's what vibes it gave to me. But now, I think, with this price and compatibly, I better get a macBook
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u/Bryanmsi89 2d ago
Right now, the hardware is good thanks to Google enforcing standards, but actually costs more than the same quality device running Windows. Make that make sense.
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u/galwiththedeepvoice 2d ago edited 23h ago
I've been noticing a trend with Microsoft and Google in associating premium with look, feel, and battery life and not raw performance. Also for the criticism apple's ecosystem has it's hard not to notice Microsoft and Google made laptops with no thought to people using their non in house programs.
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u/Limekill bunch of sticks 1d ago
It underpowered as f**k, can't run the heavy ai models (no unified RAM), and if you are really, really luck has 2 hours more battery life than a macbook.
But it FINALLY has the same build standard as a macbook neo so its "premium", mainly because metal is $10 more expensive than plastic.
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u/National_Sport6826 1d ago
But they are more powerful then neo so you are basically calling neo underpowered 😆😂😂
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u/Limekill bunch of sticks 1d ago
To do certain things - yes.
Apple Neo uses A18 chip - great for web browsing, youtube viewing and running ms office. Excellent even.
it IS underpowered for running video editing and LLM models - it cannot run apple intelligence for example with enough headroom that apple wants.
This will be corrected with the Neo 2 (A20 chip with 12GB ram).
Being able to devote close 6GB for video editing for example will certainly make it near over overpowered.
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u/ozaz1 2d ago
No interest until we start seeing low to mid range price points. I haven't even bothered reading any of the reviews.
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u/Limekill bunch of sticks 2d ago
googlebooks need 16GB and a NPU.
Zero chance they will be cheap in the next 2-3 years.
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u/DayAppropriate3817 2d ago
I had followed Googlebook info from the first leaks up to launch and was very, very excited - however - not being able to buy a Googlebook anywhere on launch day (including the Google flagship store in NYC), the bug reports, and the fact that I can't use the feature I was most excited for because I have a Samsung phone, killed it for me.
I ended up buying an open box Dell XPS 13 for Windows (basically the same design as the Googlebook aside from the OS) and installed Linux, made it look similar to Chrome OS, customized a bunch of stuff, and I can connect my phone to it - so I'm happy.
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u/LoafyLemon 2d ago
KDE Connect, I presume? It's the closest to ChromeOS experience, IMHO.
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u/DayAppropriate3817 1d ago
Yessir! Connects to my Samsung Galaxy phone and my Android handheld gaming device (Ayn Odin 3) - makes file management a breeze on both.
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u/sloopeyyy 2d ago
So many of its standout features are already bits and pieces on Chromebooks and Android. For the premium, I really needed it to do more. They wanted competition with the likes of the Macbook Neo and Microsoft Surface... this isn't it.
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u/Romano1404 Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 | Lenovo Flex 3i 8GB 12.2" 2d ago
there is no market for it. Chromebooks are bought by individuals because they're cheap and by institutions because they're cheap and easy to administrate. Right now, Googlebooks are neither.
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u/yanginatep Toshiba Chromebook 2 2d ago
I'd like to have one, but at those prices I'd probably just get a Windows laptop that can do way more things (including run Android apps).
It's weird to me that Google is just abandoning a category they completely dominated. I guess Chromebooks aren't selling as well as they used to.
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u/Suspicious_Sugar2020 1d ago
Absolute dogshit
Half assed implementation that should not have been shipped like this.
Even if it worked properly would he a hard sell
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u/CableNomilkshake 1d ago edited 1d ago
My opinion is it's not suitable for school and everyday use ore gaming you can't run any Linux program adobe so I have no clue for who it is and the price points ad that point the would be better off building another tablet with keyboard support it's not competing with anyone.
The could make a Linux laptop with the Google integration that could work and it would be suitable but that means the need stronger hardware
Ore their going to axe it so end off Googlebook
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u/koken_halliwell 1d ago
Makes sense. It feels like they wanted to access the desktop world (which they were doing already with the Chromebooks somehow) but haven't found the right key yet. IMO they should've started with the apps first and then with the OS, and not the opposite.
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u/Expensive-Box3602 2d ago
It baffles me that google ist still unable to read the market. If I want to release something 1st Gen and have to go against two major competitors, I would be an absolute idiot to price my product like Google did with the Googlebooks and then not even get them to work properly. I can not understand, how decisison like this get greenlit. This goes to show that Google is absolutley detached from reality once again.
They shouldve improved the Chromebook, especially Chrome os flex.
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u/koken_halliwell 2d ago edited 2d ago
TBH I think they don't even know what they people want to use.
Like they've been promoting PWA for a while (they even removed the Chrome apps in favour of PWA), their whole ecosystem works primarily as PWA while in desktop, and now they're releasing a half-baked Android based OS separately which has a desktop browser to run PWA.
Would kinda made sense if first they migrated all current Chromebooks to the new OS and start from there in order to avoid having 2 different OS at the same but the way they're doing it is very strange.
Not to mention having the 2 OS at the same time instead of migrating is confusing to some users and feels like a betrayal to other ones. Maybe it is just me and I'm missing something 🤔
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u/Mission_Count5301 2d ago
Another point. Googlebooks are aimed at Android phone users. Chromebook was aimed at everyone. This is it. This is the end.
The only thing that justifies the price of a Googlebook is tight integration with the phone. That's good for android users, one supposes.
I wonder how many out there were like me, iphone users who liked Chromebooks?
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u/LoafyLemon 2d ago
A lot of those features are already present on ChromeOS, and it left me very confused. I mean, we already could stream apps from the phone, so why is it advertised as if it's a googlebook-only feature?
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u/Broad_Bench9666 2d ago
I'm just happy that I have a new Chromebook. I will enjoy it and watch what happens with the Googlebooks.
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u/Wahrheitfabrik 2d ago
It's not a replacement for my HP Dragonfly at the moment. I bought the Lenovo and dropped some posts in Googlebook forum about my experiences. Hardware is really solid but the software stack is broken for the things I care about. I won't return it but am considering how hard it would be to install Flex or Linux until the software improves.
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u/Vgd4ever 2d ago
I have the Elite and love it. Was looking to find the Pro, because of the high nits, but no used one with a decent battery and price.
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u/Wahrheitfabrik 2d ago
Mine is a "redrix". Not sure which model it is but says only Dragonfly on the label. It has 32G RAM. It was bought used from Walmart and delivered from Wisetek Marketplace. Condition appeared new when I got it (ended up getting two of them).
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u/Vgd4ever 2d ago
Mine is Elite, an enterprise machine off the lease. Do you have only one or two Thunderbold ports (Pro) or you have đore ports, like HDMI (Elite)?
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u/surelyslim 2d ago
I had the two original Pixels, which I still loved and wanted a replacement because it did everything Googlebooks are supposed to solve.
But if they’re renting on Google’s name and charging Apple prices… makes sense to spend the extra money on the Duo phone. Suddenly it doesn’t seem as expensive.
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u/Exfiltrator 2d ago
A general news site, admittedly in their tech section, just reported that Googlebooks do not (yet) support Enterprise Device Management, so no remote administration, which is what schools found so appealing in Chromebooks. Almost everything I read about them is negative. Not all Android apps run on them, Samsung phones are not supported at launch, even some Pixel phones cannot connect to them. It's like they've not tested a thing, claimed way too much before launch and now they're on sale, lots and lots of people are running into limitations or problems. I love the idea of a Googlebook, to be honest, when I bought a Chromebook years ago I expected it to have many of the features that are now supposed to be available on Googlebooks but that never came to Chromebooks. Now I feel that I should wait for third gen Googlebooks in the hope that all these issues will be fixed by them.
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u/Electronic_Web_6678 2d ago
Non sono critico con il Googlebook, anzi, sono del parere che un aggiornamento del sistema operativo era fisiologico prima o poi con l'avvento dell'intelligenza artificiale. La pioggia di bug e malfunzionamenti a grappolo era assolutamente scontati, d'altra parte viviamo nell'era dell'hype sfrenato. Non sono sicuro che possa davvero servirmi dato che utilizzo prevalentemente il web quindi un ChromeBook Plus è più che sufficiente. Valuterei l'acquisto solo a prezzi più ragionevoli, anche con qualità costruttiva inferiore, ma senza rinuncia all'hardware. Temo il dietrofront improvviso di Google dinnanzi ad un lancio che stenta ancora a decollare. Diciamo che allo stato attuale sta planando, in attesa di trovare una corrente ascensionale, piuttosto che una ennesima turbolenza
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u/migsmog Pixelbook Go m3 Stable V131 2d ago
As someone who was very expiremental with new Chromebook releases throughout the 2010s but bought my first iPhone in 2020, I’m glad I sat out this initial release based on first impressions and the fact that I no longer use an android phone or tablet. I’d love to see the platform succeed and I’m still curious to try it out once the kinks are ironed out. For right now there’s nothing to make me jump for it. My M4 MacBook Air and iPhone 16 Pro are only a year old. And I still love my Pixelbook Go and Pixel Slate when I need a Chrome fix. Had my eye on the XPS based on build quality and size but was hesitant based on price and the LCD panel.
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u/aleph_zarro 2d ago
A little worried, TBH. I was really hoping running Android apps would feel like more of a desktop experience. And I was hoping for better integration between the Linux and Android desktops (one beastie instead of two separate beasties).
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u/mrphantasy 2d ago edited 2d ago
Tried out briefly at a store display and extremely underwhelmed. My criticism is basically the false one leveled at Chrome OS over the years, which is that Googlebooks are limited and underpowered (when, in fact, Chrome OS handles 99% of online/productivity/etc. tasks just fine). Could be interesting if Android moves toward more productivity and AI apps that fundamentally change computing. For the moment, they just seem pretty, overpriced, and not offering much more than your standard $250 Chromebook.
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u/rjspears1138 2d ago
I've been using Chromebooks for well over 12 years and I have been very happy with what they deliver. For 90% of what I do, they fit my needs. For the rest of my needs (high end video/audio/image editing), I use a Windows machine or a Mac.
That said, about the Googlebook, I know I'll hold off for a couple of years. First, my Chromebooks still have support for years. Second, from what I've been hearing the Googlebooks are having some issues with their software.
Lastly, the price to get into Googlebooks is still too steep for me, especially since they won't be able to handle my high-end tasks (video/audio/image editing) and I'll have to have an expensive Windows/Mac to handle those.
I'll wait a few years until they work out the kinks and release some mid-range models. I don't need premium models.
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u/GamingRohan71 1d ago
My opinion isn't gonna be about who's gonna use it or the specs and anything like that. I'm looking at it from the assumption that in the future, there will be more compatible apps and better specs for productivity.
Even then, I feel like ppl might not actually be that productive on it. My main concern is the UI itself. Things like widgets, etc make it feel more like a phone. And most ppl outside reddit use their phones for passing time, like scrolling insta and doing other non-productive stuff. So having the same kind of experience on their laptop might put them in the same mindset as when they're using their phone.
I feel like there's a psychological difference between using a phone and using a laptop or desktop. When most ppl look at a windows laptop or a desktop in general, it gives them a feeling of productivity and endless possibilities. But i just don't get that same feeling with the googlebook. It feels more like an extension of your phone rather than a device that makes you wanna sit down and get things done.
So for that price, seems really bad. What do you think about this?
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u/LibraProtocol 17h ago
The thought to do this after Apple released the MacBook Neo is.... a choice...
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u/Immediate_Thing_5232 15h ago
It's been a week. Everyone needs to chill, both positive and negative.
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u/GalagaWarVeteran 2d ago
My opinion is that too many people in this sub are giddy with excitement to shit on Googlebooks every chance they get.
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u/Limekill bunch of sticks 2d ago
The people who are in this sub actually want google to succeed.
Some of us have waited 10+ years since honeycomb4.0.
99.9999% of the rest of the world does not care about Googlebooks.
If I was google I would rather someone shit on googlebooks than have zero care factor about it.
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u/Naive-Link5627 2d ago
It's a bad year for electronics in general, with supplies short and prices high, yet Huawei is making a move with HarmonyOS and Amazon just released new Android based tablets that are not Fire tablets; it's still an interesting year.
I think it makes sense that Google is going for the premium market to appeal to consumers, given that Chromebooks have become associated with low end sector for schools and the workplace.
I think some of the negative reviews have been coming from comparing Googlebooks with Apple ecosystems continuity experience, which is I think a good thing that they're being compared like that and that this could be the direction things will be improving in the future. Given the first generation issues and lack of devices I could demo at retail stores, this year might be a pass until I can try out some things I'm curious about but I'm hopeful for the future.
Even with first generation issues, they seem like an improvement on top of the Chromebook which got started in 2011.
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u/BenSkylake Pixelbook i7 512GB | Stable 2d ago
Has potential but from what I've been hearing, the software just isn't ready yet. Maybe in a few years I'll check back and see if it's improved enough to be worth considering. It's easy to forget but modern ChromeOS is completely different to how it was originally in 2011. I'm sure Googlebook OS will evolve over time and prove to be worth another look later (provided they actually give it time instead of killing it off prematurely).
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u/jortony 2d ago
Software is great, tested two models so far
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u/LoafyLemon 2d ago
You must be using only very basic features, because a lot of major features are missing...
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u/Honest_Union9128 2d ago
To be fair, google at the moment are doing too much and spreading themselves too thin. Was really excited for the googlebook and love the design. For the the price they are asking, and what get, it better to get a decent windows laptop(at least here in Australia).
Not too mentioned google over promising on their Ai, then not delivering is getting old.
Trying to dominate in too many categories, leaving paying customers unhappy and not actually listening to feedback. It's pretty disappointing.
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u/plankunits 2d ago
The operating system is off to a solid start, though device pricing is an issue. Personally, I don't mind paying a premium for high-quality laptops, as I dislike cheap plastic builds and am happy to invest in premium hardware.
While they have implemented many things well, the operating system still needs to mature. Specific features like call casting and clipboard synchronization are currently missing, and there are numerous minor issues and requested functionalities that need to be addressed.
On the plus side, since the release of Android 16 QPR1 featuring "Material You" expressive design, Google has implemented a ton of features users have been requesting. It truly feels as though they have begun to prioritize user feedback.
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u/Limekill bunch of sticks 2d ago
If you are looking for premium laptops - just buy a macbook.
You have had 20years of upgrades to make it one of the best OS/Computers out there.
No point in taking a risk on "experimental factors" at this price point.
Having 5 manufacturers means repairs will almost be impossible.1
u/plankunits 1d ago
i used MacBook + Pixel for 10+ years.
There is literally no ecosystem play with a macbook and an android. I cant even use 80% of the apps on a macbook. I had to add 80% of the apps to a folder called bloat. how can i use notes, books, photos, contacts, find my, fitness, health, home, maps etc if they are not on my phone. besides google drive and chrome there is no google apps on windows or macbook. now i can use same apps across my devices.
I have used MacBook my whole life and no I refuse to buy a ecosystem less device anymore
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u/73a33y55y9 1d ago
It's better in one point that is OS security.
And now it's not much cheaper then MacBook Air.
I would not consider to buy any Windows laptop. Those are I secure malware nests.
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u/dcbased 2d ago
I was really excited before I got it Then really bummed afterwards.
But now that I now they are fixing a lot of the bugs - in really excited for the future
I think it could be a game changer for people that are looking to improve their task workflow
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u/Limekill bunch of sticks 2d ago
if it showed something more capable than other ai companies- sure.
But Im not seeing it even coming close to Claude in itelligence.
Or helping being a personal device like Muse.2
u/dcbased 1d ago
I'm looking at the entire workflow - i have a lot of data flowing between screens at the moment, and tabbing between screens to look up things. If I can shorten that - then this is a winner for me.
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u/Limekill bunch of sticks 1d ago edited 1d ago
hopefully. I was quite excited about the Gemini integration.
But then it seems its just like macbook neo - nothing particularly "smart" about it.
(I am currently running a 34UWD, a portrait 15.6 inch monitor and 16 laptop monitor.Part of the problem is that all the workers in google use macbooks, so pretty much what googlebooks can do, goolge will release software for the macbook anyway.
Now my idea is to get a macbook air and get a tablet shaped foldable phone and that will be my full tech stack.
If I want the android experience I will just plug my phone into a monitor for the cost of a USB C cable - not $900.
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u/langelvicente 2d ago
Given that Google has confirmed quarterly updates unless there are critical bugs, the os might not be in a decent state for at least 6 more months