GoKawiilThe Verge finds early bugs across five new Googlebook laptops
The Verge's staff has spent a week testing all five newly launched Googlebook laptops from Google's OEM partners and reports that the hardware is strong but the new operating system is riddled with problems. Testers cite missing features like swiping between desktops, inconsistent handling of Android apps, and basic text interactions that don't work properly in apps like Signal.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
A Google representative reportedly told The Verge that replacing ChromeOS with an Android-based system would allow faster development, suggesting the rocky launch may be framed internally as a short-term tradeoff for long-term flexibility. If these software issues persist, they could undercut Google's pitch of Googlebooks as a smarter alternative to Windows and Mac for Android users.
- Five Googlebook laptops have launched with hardware reviewers call great to excellent.
- The Verge's testers report the software is buggy, inconsistent, and in some ways worse than ChromeOS.
- A Google rep says switching to Android from ChromeOS enables faster development going forward.
Source: theverge.com — Antonio G. Di Benedetto, 2026-10-09
Published there as: “A week with Googlebooks: four notes from our testing so far”
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