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Googlebook

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Re: Googlebook

#71
This looks like a better announcement page: https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/platforms/android...

Is this a rebranding of Chromebook Plus? For those who haven't been following the laptop form factor recently, Chromebook Pluses with Mediatek Kompanio Ultra SoCs are the best deals in laptops today. If this is just a Chromebook Plus with a fashion light bar, I'm not interested.

Re: Googlebook

#72
post #2

This is really cool (although they could've recycled the Pixelbook brand). I hope there'll be a way to dual boot Windows 11 on this.

Yeah the name is a little clumsy sounding. I think Pixelbook isn't as recognizable as Chromebook.

I guess they don't want the baggage from Chromebook because Chrome is a given Google wants people to think Google == AI the way they think Chrome == internet.

We may not like Copilot but the truth is Google's OS is already delivering what Apple Intelligence promised on laptops and phones. Google has a lot of customers, a good amount of Apple customers seem to want Apple Intelligence. I'm interested in seeing how Google does against Apple (and curious what GoogleBook will cost). It's important to remember that it was in the works long before MacBook Neo was announced and maybe even before it was rumored.

Re: Googlebook

#73

What does Google gain from this? They already struggle in hardware, or am I missing something - has something changed?

The main thrust behind their foray into hardware was that they feared being cut off. Whoever controls the terminal has the power to push users toward their own platforms (Bing, Microsoft 365, etc), and I guess they could see the writing on the wall and wanted to have a platform they control.

As for this project, I think part of it is just the conclusion of internal power plays between Chrome and Android. The other half is probably the same fear as before: if Microsoft puts their own AI closer to the user, Google will have a hard time keeping up. So the best defense is to have your own "AI-first" OS.

Keep in mind that Microsoft doesn't need to win to hurt Google's bottom line. For example, if Bing captures 5% of search through OS- and browser-bundling strategies, that's still a 5% that Google can't have.

Re: Googlebook

#74

I think if I wanted a cheap laptop I'd probably get the macbook neo, and if i wanted a non-gaming expensive one i'd get a macbook pro. I really don't see the market fit for this, I guess the android integration. But my god, I'd die of cringe if someone asked me about my laptop and I had to say "googlebook". Believe it or not, these things matter a lot, particularly if you're trying to target a young audience.

supposedly macbook pro's M-series are quite adept for gamers these days.

I'd like to meet the person that supposed this to you, and ask them what games they play.

Re: Googlebook

#76

I think if I wanted a cheap laptop I'd probably get the macbook neo, and if i wanted a non-gaming expensive one i'd get a macbook pro. I really don't see the market fit for this, I guess the android integration. But my god, I'd die of cringe if someone asked me about my laptop and I had to say "googlebook". Believe it or not, these things matter a lot, particularly if you're trying to target a young audience.

I thought Microsoft had the market cornered on terrible product naming but "Googlebook" is extremely awful.

My suggestion, if they really want to go this route, is to shorten it to "gBook".

Re: Googlebook

#77

It is not very encouraging that most of the marketing materials on the website show the Googlebook having filleted (rounded) edges similar to Macbook Neo, but the video shows the laptop having a bevelled profile similar to framework 13. Seems like a hastily put together attempt at a response to the acclaimed Macbook Neo. Literally zero information on the page apart from the "fall" release window.

Screams of "COME ON DO SOMETHING WE NEED THE STUDENTS TO NOT BUY MACs!"

Built for Gemini?? No thanks.

Re: Googlebook

#79
post #54
post #12

I guess it will be running Google's new operating system (a "modern OS designed for Intelligence") that combines elements of Android and ChromeOS. Edit: Probably Android at the core, and then a desktop-grade Chrome browser on top.

Wouldn't it be Fuchsia?

The dream of Fuchsia is effectively dead, and aside from some older Nest devices, Google only remaining efforts with the OS is basically as a tiny runtime that they'll run in VMs on Android for some secure process needs.

It was just a speculative research project and a bunch of bloggers went wild declaring it the end of Android, Linux (Android of course sitting on Linux), ChromeOS, etc. That was never real.

Re: Googlebook

#80
post #27

Google seems to have made an official post on Reddit describing the feature set in detail: https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/1tb8xls/introducin... [Edit] And, the feature set references the 'AI mouse pointer' from this Deepmind blog.. https://deepmind.google/blog/ai-pointer/

Posting an official announcement of an AI-powered laptop on Reddit were the users there tend to have a hard Anti-AI stance is certainly something.
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