During its Android Show livestream earlier today, Google announced a new line of laptops it calls Googlebooks.
Details remain sparse for the most part, since the first Googlebooks aren’t due out until later this year. However, Google confirmed the laptops will run a new operating system that is a combination of Android and Chrome OS.
In terms of software, each Googlebook will include a feature called Magic Pointer. With the feature, you can shake the cursor and point it at something on the screen. From there, Gemini can take over and provide various actions, such as creating a Google Calendar event by pointing at a date in an email message.
Googlebooks can also access what’s on your phone through a feature called Quick Access. This includes apps, documents, and photos.
Then there’s Quick Widget, a Gemini feature that creates a widget for you based on a prompt you provide. For example, you can ask Gemini to track wind speed and precipitation in your area, and it will create either separate widgets or one larger widget.
Finally, every Googlebook will have what is called the Glowbar. Google did not say what purpose it serves, but it’s a nice homage to the Chromebook Pixel laptops released many moons ago.
Google said Acer, Asus, Lenovo, HP, and Dell are working on Googlebooks. The company also confirmed Chromebooks will continue to be supported, with new ones coming after the Googlebooks release.
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