Early buyers of Google's new Googlebook laptops discovered that Find Hub, Google's device-locating service, does not work on the machines. Google confirmed the omission, explaining that because Googlebooks spend most of their time lidless and in sleep mode, Find Hub's tracking system cannot locate them, and the web interface only shows other devices tied to the same account. Google gave no timeline for restoring the feature or any temporary workaround.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-11-06
Google confirmed at the Android Dev Summit that detachable Chromebook designs are coming soon, expanding beyond current clamshell and convertible models. Shortly after, Lenovo's Bluetooth keyboard and stylus for its rumored Chromebook Duet m appeared in the FCC database, with the keyboard's documentation showing Chromebook branding and pogo-pin connectors matching the device.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-11-02
John Wu, creator of Magisk and a Google employee, said on X that rooting a Googlebook blocks the app-casting feature that lets Android phones send apps to the laptop. He explained the phones refuse to cast because a rooted Googlebook fails hardware key attestation checks. Googlebooks have been on sale for about a month and are marketed partly on this cross-device casting capability.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-11-02
Android Authority surveyed readers on which of Google's five newly announced Googlebooks they would purchase. The Lenovo Googlebook 15 led with 19% of votes, followed by the Dell XPS Googlebook at 16%, the Acer Googlebook 14 at 14.1%, the ASUS Googlebook 14 at 12.7%, and the HP Googlebook 14 trailing at 9.8%. Roughly a third of respondents, combining those who skipped a pick and the 15% awaiting more options, did not commit to any current model.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-10-30
Engadget's review of the Lenovo Googlebook 15 finds Googlebook OS easy to use, with a familiar interface borrowed from Android and Chromebook conventions, including simple side-by-side multitasking. The review highlights cross-device sharing features that let users pair the laptop to an Android phone via QR code, transfer files, cast apps, sync notifications and resume browsing sessions across devices. The reviewer notes these 'Better Together' features were initially unavailable on Samsung phones at launch but have since been enabled.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-30
A reviewer used the Acer Googlebook 14 and Dell XPS Googlebook as primary computers for two weeks, starting at $899. The first week revealed frequent slowdowns, unreliable basic features, and extensive troubleshooting, though a batch of software fixes in week two resolved some early issues, including setup problems with Better Together cross-device features and initial lack of Samsung phone support.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-10-24
A review of Googlebook laptops from Acer, HP, Lenovo, Dell and Asus finds strong hardware—OLED displays, premium build quality, 16GB RAM and good battery life—undermined by an unfinished Googlebook OS plagued by bugs and weak app support. The reviewers say the software feels more like an Android tablet interface bolted onto a laptop than a unified operating system, and do not recommend buying any current model.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-22
Google has launched Googlebooks, a new line of laptops that run Android natively rather than ChromeOS, positioning them as premium alternatives to Windows and macOS machines. The initial lineup features touchscreens, aluminum and magnesium bodies, biometric unlock, large trackpads, and a light-up accessory called the Glowbar that signals Gemini activation and battery status, but most models cost well over a thousand dollars.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-10-16
Tom's Hardware tested Googlebooks from Dell, Lenovo and HP, built on a new operating system called Googlebook OS that resembles Android more than Chrome OS. The platform aims to merge Android phones and laptops and includes AI features such as Rambler, with Acer and Asus also signed on as hardware partners. The reviewer found the hardware solid but said the OS still feels underdeveloped and centered mainly on the web browser.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-10-15
A review of the Lenovo Googlebook 15 describes it as a well-built laptop but one hampered by the limitations of being among the first devices in its category. The reviewer notes buyers face a tradeoff between getting the hardware now and waiting for software and ecosystem improvements expected later.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-10-14
A review of Acer's Googlebook 14 laptop describes premium build quality and hardware but points to software that feels unpolished or incomplete. Specific details of the testing and performance were not provided beyond this overall assessment.
techspot.com
· 2026-10-13
Developer Skylar Taylor-Barrick built a project called gbos-vm that runs Google's Android-based Googlebook OS inside a virtual machine on Apple Silicon Macs, complete with hardware-accelerated graphics and a working Chrome browser. The tool bridges Android's Vulkan graphics calls to Apple's Metal system using POSIX shared memory and MoltenVK, letting the VM tap the Mac's GPU instead of relying on slower CPU rendering. It installs from a Dell Googlebook recovery image via a script and QEMU, requiring an Apple Silicon Mac with 16GB RAM, about 60GB storage, and developer tools like Xcode Command Line Tools and Homebrew.
techspot.com
· 2026-10-11
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