(Credit: Google)
Move over Chromebook. Google is preparing a new category of laptops that goes all in on AI. Meet the Googlebook.
The company previewed the new laptops in today’s Android Show: I/O Edition. “Googlebooks are the first laptops designed from the ground up for Gemini Intelligence,” the AI models behind the Gemini chatbot. The tech giant plans to launch the first Googlebooks this fall through PC makers including Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo.
“Now, as computing shifts from an operating system to an intelligence system, we see an opportunity to rethink laptops again,” explained Alex Kuscher, Google’s senior director for laptops and tablets.
The Googlebook promises to be smart enough to offer you helpful AI-powered suggestions and experiences the moment you use the laptop. The company noted that the mouse cursor, or what it calls the “Magic Pointer," will offer extra functions as you hover over various apps.
“Just wiggle your cursor and watch it come alive with Gemini, offering quick, contextual suggestions every time you point at something on your screen,” Kuscher says. “Point at a date in an email to set up a meeting, or select two images—like your living room and a new couch—to instantly visualize them together. It lets you go from idea to I’m done in just a few clicks.”
The Googlebook can also create custom widgets based on text prompts. They'll connect to your Google accounts and apps so you can organize your personal data, such as an upcoming trip.
The company also noted that a Googlebook can remotely access mobile apps on a user’s Android phone, meaning they can remain on their laptop screen without switching back and forth between their handset. “No downloading, no awkward emulated touch-screen controls; it just works,” Kuscher says.
Still, one big question is what OS the new laptops will run. The company didn't specify, but noted that Googlebooks will feature the best of both Android and ChromeOS. This likely refers to the upcoming Aluminum OS, which has been rumored to combine both operating systems.
Pricing also wasn't announced. But the company says, “Every Googlebook will be built with premium craftsmanship and materials, coming in a variety of shapes and sizes,” suggesting the product will sit on a tier higher than an average Chromebook.
(Google)