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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Technology
Samuel Gibbs Consumer technology editor

Googlebook review: Google’s new laptops are woefully underbaked

Google Android Laptops Windows Gemini Acer Asus DOCS
The Googlebook logo on the deck of a Asus Googlebook 14 laptop.
The new Googlebooks are premium laptops let down by underdeveloped software. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Google’s attempt to create a new type of laptop to compete with Windows and macOS machines is finally here, combining the best of ChromeOS and Android into the new Googlebook. With advanced links to Android phones and the best of Google built in, can these Googlebooks really compete with a MacBook Air or Surface Laptop? I took two for a spin to find out.

For years, Chromebooks have been the boss of budget laptops, but Googlebooks take a different, far more premium approach. Made by a range of traditional PC makers, including Acer, Asus, Dell, HP and Lenovo, they start at £999 (€1,099/$899/A$2,299) – a far cry from the £160 Chromebooks.

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