The first 5 Googlebook laptops are here, with an OS that blends Android and Gemini

For decades, laptop shoppers have really only had two choices: Mac or PC? Now, there’s a third option: the Googlebook.

Starting today, the first five Googlebook devices are now available for preorder (they officially launch on Oct. 4), with Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo each launching a new device.

Earlier this year, Google announced the imminent arrival of Googlebooks, a new generation of premium AI laptops running on an entirely new operating system, which blends elements of Android, ChromeOS, and Gemini. (A Google spokesperson confirmed the new operating system is called Googlebook OS.)

Unlike Chromebooks, which are generally cheaper, stripped-down laptops, the new Googlebook devices feature a baseline 16GB of RAM, are made with premium materials such as aluminum and magnesium, and feature much more impressive chipsets. They’re also priced more like MacBooks than Chromebooks. All the devices are ultra-thin and lightweight, and except for the Dell, they all come with OLED displays.

• Acer Googlebook 14 2-in-1 Convertible (Intel Core Ultra 3 Panther Lake, 16GB RAM, 256GB) — Starting at $899

• ASUS Googlebook 14 (Intel Core Ultra 3 Panther Lake, 16GB RAM, 256GB) — Starting at $1,299

• Dell XPS Googlebook (Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite, 16GB RAM, 512GB) — Starting at $1,199

• HP Googlebook 14 (Qualcomm Snapdragon X1 Elite, 16GB RAM, 256GB) — Starting at $1,299

• Lenovo Googlebook 15 (Intel Core Ultra 3 Panther Lake, 16GB RAM, 256GB) — Starting at $1299

First, the MacBook Neo, and now the Googlebook. It’s not a good time to be a Windows laptop.

What is a Googlebook?

The Googlebook home screen experience.
Credit: Joseph Maldonado / Mashable

If you weren’t following along when Google announced Googlebooks at Google I/O earlier this year, we’re here for you. The idea is similar to Chromebooks, in that Google makes the operating system and software, while hardware partners make the devices themselves.

But the similarities end there. Googlebooks are more powerful on both the hardware and software level, and many analysts have referred to them as Google’s answer to MacBooks. Thanks to a brand-new operating system that blends Android Gemini, users can cast Android apps on their laptops, search all of their files in one place, and use Gemini to perform agentic tasks across devices.

Google says it’s “reinventing the laptop” with the Googlebook, and to attract users, the new devices come with one year of Google AI Pro for free, alongside 10 years of promised update support to keep them viable for a long time.

The new operating system is like Android for desktop

The Create My Widget tool.
Credit: Google

Google has been not-so-secretly working on an Android-based desktop operating system for years, under the rumored code name AluminiumOS.

The OS integrates Gemini into just about every aspect of the software, while also letting you pair your laptop with your Android phone.

Some of the major new features include:

• Magic Pointer: A special mouse cursor feature that uses Gemini to understand on-screen context and act upon it. Just shake the cursor, and a list of contextual actions will pop up on the screen.

• Cast your apps: After you pair your phone, you can cast your apps and use them on the laptop screen.

• Create My Widget: Exactly what it sounds like. Simply describe the widget you want, and Gemini will create it and add it to your desktop homescreen.

• Rambler: Automatically transcribes your speech, but removes all the “Ums” and “ahs” and adds proper punctuation as it does

• Universal file search: When you search for files on your Googlebook, you can instantly access the files on your phone as well. If you edit a file on your phone, it instantly updates on your laptop, and vice versa.

Oh, and before you ask: This does not mean Chromebooks are imminently going away. They’re popular enough and different enough that brands can and will keep making them, at least for the time being. But Googlebooks seem to be the priority of the future for Google’s laptop business.

Where can you buy Googlebooks?

The new Lenovo Googlebook has a 2.8K OLED touchscreen display.
Credit: Joseph Maldonado / Mashable

The Googlebooks are available for preorder starting today and ship Oct. 4 in the United States, and Oct. 5 in Canada, the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, and Australia. You can buy Googlebooks at the Google Store, Best Buy, and other retailers.

Googlebooks hardware specs

Want to learn more about the five new Googlebooks coming from Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo? Let’s dive into the details.

HP

HP’s Googlebook in full force.
Credit: Joseph Maldonado / Mashable

The HP Googlebook 14 is a 14-inch clamshell laptop with an OLED touch display. It starts at $1,299, and the specs are as follows:

• Qualcomm Snapdragon X1 Elite processor

• 16GB RAM, 256GB starting storage

• 14-inch 2.8K OLED touch display with 500 nits peak brightness

• Haptic touchpad with fingerprint sensor

• 2.7 pounds

• All-aluminum build

Dell

Dell’s Googlebook in action.
Credit: Joseph Maldonado / Mashable

The XPS Googlebook is a 13-inch clamshell device with a touch display. It starts at $1,199. Here are the specs:

• Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor

• 16GB RAM, 512GB starting storage

• 13-inch 2.5K display with 500 nits peak brightness

• Haptic touchpad with fingerprint sensor and face authentication

• 2.5 pounds

• Machined aluminum chassis

Lenovo

Love an HDMI port on a laptop.
Credit: Joseph Maldonado / Mashable

The Lenovo Googlebook 15 is a little bigger than the rest. It’s a 15.3-inch clamshell with an OLED touch display, starting at $1,299.

• Intel Core Ultra 3 (Panther Lake) processor

• 16GB RAM, 256GB starting storage

• 15.3-inch 2.8K OLED display with touch support

• Dolby Atmos support

• Haptic touchpad with fingerprint sensor and face authentication

• 2.68 pounds

• Magnesium-alloy and carbon fiber build

Acer

The one convertible of the bunch.
Credit: Joseph Maldonado / Mashable

Acer’s Googlebook 14 is by far the cheapest of the bunch. It’s a 14-inch convertible laptop, and it starts at $899. The specs are:

• Intel Core Ultra 3 (Panther Lake) processor

• 16GB RAM, 256GB starting storage

• 14-inch 2.8K OLED touch display with 500 nits peak brightness

• Fingerprint sensor

• 2.7 pounds

• Aluminum and magnesium chassis

Asus

There’s the Asus one.
Credit: Asus

Lastly, the Asus Googlebook 14 is the lightest of the bunch. It’s a clamshell laptop that starts at $1,299, and the specs look like this:

• Intel Core Ultra 3 (Panther Lake) processor

• 16GB RAM, 256GB starting storage

• 14-inch 3K OLED touch display with 500 nits peak brightness

• Haptic touchpad with fingerprint sensor

• 2.2 pounds

• Aluminum and magnesium chassis

As with Chromebooks, expect there to be a lot more of these going forward. It’ll be fascinating to see how much the Googlebook brand takes precedence over the Chromebook brand in the near and far future.

Source: https://mashable.com/tech/google-googlebooks-laptops-launched-acer-asus-hp-lenovo-dell