Tom's Hardware finds Googlebook OS still feels like Android on three otherwise sound laptops
Tom's Hardware tested Dell, Lenovo and HP Googlebooks and found the hardware generally sound but the OS in need of more time. The review says the OS largely feels like Android and centers on the web browser.
The Engineer · Build desk
Map of the Tom's Hardware review: Googlebooks are in some ways more powerful than Chromebooks could ever be, yet not a full PC OS; the platform is limited and browser-centered; F1 to F3 keys feel like old Android phones; tested hardware is generally sound.
- What doesn't add up contradiction Googlebooks vs Chromebooks In some ways more powerful than Chromebooks could ever be; in others not yet grown into a full PC OS, claim 11
- What it limits constraint Googlebook platform Still limited despite the expansive Google Play Store; largely centered around the web browser, claim 8
- What it sets up precedent F1 to F3 buttons Feel like throwbacks to Android phones before they largely went gesture-based, the reviewer says, claim 10
- What's now possible capability Tested Googlebook hardware Generally sound, though the reviewer wouldn't mind a bit more battery life, claim 2
| Who | How | Kind | Claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Googlebooks vs Chromebooks | In some ways more powerful than Chromebooks could ever be; in others not yet grown into a full PC OS | contradiction | 11 |
| Googlebook platform | Still limited despite the expansive Google Play Store; largely centered around the web browser | constraint | 8 |
| F1 to F3 buttons | Feel like throwbacks to Android phones before they largely went gesture-based, the reviewer says | precedent | 10 |
| Tested Googlebook hardware | Generally sound, though the reviewer wouldn't mind a bit more battery life | capability | 2 |
What happened
- The reviewer spent a few days with the Lenovo Googlebook 15, the HP Googlebook 14 and Dell's XPS Googlebook.
- The HP model is based on the HP OmniBook Ultra, and the Dell model is a carbon copy of the XPS 13 with a haptic touchpad.
- The HP and Dell units are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1-80-100.
- Googlebooks currently have five hardware partners: Dell, Lenovo, HP, Acer and Asus.
Why it matters
- Who has to decide decision Teams should sort workloads before any pilot. Browser-based work fits what the platform centers on, and anything needing native desktop software depends on a Play Store the review calls limited. We would hold those pilots until the OS matures.
- What doesn't add up contradiction The review pulls both ways. In some respects Googlebooks are more powerful than Chromebooks could ever be, yet they still feel short of a full PC operating system.
- What it limits constraint The hardware finding covers three of the five partners. Acer and Asus machines get no verdict from this review.
The hardware half of the verdict is easy to believe. The reviewer wrote that "if you've seen some recent Windows laptops, you've seen this hardware" [13]. The one gripe is battery life: the reviewer wouldn't mind a bit more [2]. A "generally sound" rating transfers to a purchase only if the SKU matches, and the three differ. HP and Lenovo have 2880 x 1800 OLED screens, while Dell used a 2560 x 1600 LCD [14].
The OS is where the review gets specific. Google set one keyboard layout across all the devices [9]. A G key opens the app launcher, Caps Lock doubles as Quick Insert, and F1 to F3 are Back, Show Homescreen and Overview [9]. The review says those keys feel like throwbacks to Android phones before they went gesture-based [10]. "It's the OS itself that needs some more time in the oven," the reviewer wrote [3].
The app side points the same way. The review says that despite the expansive Google Play Store, the platform is still limited [8]. The smaller details agree. Glowbar Disco is a hidden app that Google is positioning as an easter egg [12]. Its music sync is labelled "experimental", its effects do not persist when the app closes, and it cannot be pinned to the taskbar [12].
The sample is small. The text available to us ends as the performance section opens, so there are no benchmark or battery-life numbers to weigh [16].
What to watch
- Whether Google updates Googlebook OS to loosen the browser-centered, Android-style app model the review describes.
- Reviews of the Acer and Asus Googlebooks, which this hands-on did not cover.
- Tom's Hardware's performance and battery-life results, which would show how the Snapdragon units compare with the other chip.
Clarity's read
What the record supports and how the coverage leans. The claims behind it follow.
Reality
- Evidence55
- Adoption
- Insufficient
- Hype gap
- Insufficient
- Incentives
- Insufficient
- Confidence55
Claim ledger
Ranked by verification strength, evidence, and original report placement.
- [1]
Tom's Hardware's reviewer spent the last few days using the Lenovo Googlebook 15, the HP Googlebook 14 and Dell's XPS Googlebook.
- [2]
The reviewer says the tested hardware is generally sound, though they wouldn't mind a bit more battery life.
- [3]
"It's the OS itself that needs some more time in the oven."
- [4]
The review says Googlebook OS largely feels like Android, with some features nailed on to fit a desktop OS.
- [5]
Googlebooks currently have five hardware partners: Dell, Lenovo, HP, Acer and Asus.
- [6]
The HP Googlebook 14 is clearly based on the HP OmniBook Ultra, and the Dell XPS Googlebook is a carbon copy of the Dell XPS 13, although its touchpad is haptic.
- [7]
The HP Googlebook 14 and the Dell XPS Googlebook are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1-80-100.
- [8]
The review says that despite the expansive Google Play Store, the platform is still limited and largely centered around the web browser.
- [9]
All the Googlebooks share a Google keyboard layout: a G key that opens the app launcher, a Caps Lock key that doubles as Quick Insert, and F1 through F3 as the Back, Show Homescreen and Overview buttons.
- [10]
The reviewer says the F1 to F3 buttons feel like throwbacks to Android phones before they largely went gesture-based.
- [11]
The review says that in some ways Googlebooks are more powerful than Chromebooks could ever be, and in other ways they feel like they haven't yet grown into a full PC operating system.
- [12]
Glowbar Disco is a hidden app Google positions as an easter egg; its music sync is set as experimental, effects aren't persistent when the app is closed, and the app can't be pinned to the taskbar.
- [13]
The reviewer wrote of the hardware: "if you've seen some recent Windows laptops, you've seen this hardware."
- [14]
HP and Lenovo both include 2880 x 1800 OLED screens, while Dell opted for a 2560 x 1600 LCD panel.
- [15]
Two of the five Googlebook hardware partners, Acer and Asus, were not among the three tested.
- [16]
The review's performance section opens by saying there are two chips in the first crop of Googlebooks; the text provided ends there.
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Sources
1 independent publisher whose own reporting we read for this story.
- tomshardware.comGooglebooks from Dell, Lenovo, and HP tested: Nice hardware, but the OS isn't ready yet
1 article · October 15, 2026
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