Googlebook: $899 for a Laptop Whose Best Feature Is a Screen You Will Replace

I would not buy the Googlebook, and the AI label is the first reason.

Google has started selling Googlebook, a new laptop category built around Gemini, with models from Acer, Asus, Dell, HP and Lenovo starting at $899. The cheapest is the Acer Googlebook 14: an Intel Core Ultra 5 325, 16 GB of RAM, a 512 GB SSD, and a 14-inch OLED touchscreen at 2880 x 1800 with up to 120 Hz. It has a 71 Wh battery and comes with 12 months of Google AI Pro.

The specs are not bad. But a resolution that high on a screen that small is wasted. At 14 inches you will barely see the difference, and to enjoy that resolution most people will end up plugging in an external monitor. It is a pity, because the panel is the best part of the machine.

Then there is the AI. Putting an “AI” label on a general consumer product does nothing for me. Running a truly powerful model locally is expensive, and an $899 laptop is not the machine for it. It can run some real things, but never the strongest models. For those you pay for an extra service, and you pay it on top of the laptop. Buying a computer sold for AI use when it cannot run the heaviest AI work locally looks like a waste to me. TechCrunch also notes that these features are not likely to be the main selling point, and Google has not said clearly which of them run on the device and which in the cloud.

I have not used one, so this is a judgment from the spec sheet and the pitch. If you are curious, read the full spec list and the subscription terms first, and decide whether you want the laptop or the label. The sources are linked below.