Googlebooks show Android’s promise and its rough edges
A week of testing Android-powered Googlebooks from Asus and HP revealed both strengths and frustrations. Native Android apps and phone notification access impressed the reviewer, but phone connectivity, app casting, and file-sharing were unreliable or awkward. The experience also highlighted limitations of running native Android apps on a $1,000 laptop.
The review covered Asus and HP Googlebooks, Android-based laptops. Setup was fast, taking minutes, with biometric login, Google account sign-in, and phone connection to import apps/backups. Asus and HP differed mainly in whether they defaulted to all phone apps or only desktop-optimized ones.
After setup, cross-device features proved unreliable. Pairing often needed cross-device toggles on both devices, repeated restarts, and sometimes luck. Switching Wi-Fi networks broke the link until the laptop restarted; both devices also needed same Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on. Native Android apps on a $1,000 laptop had limitations.
If Googlebooks gain traction, Android users may expect seamless phone-laptop continuity, but early reliability issues could frustrate buyers and slow adoption. Developers might face pressure to adapt phone apps for larger screens, while Asus, HP, and Google could need to improve cross-device pairing, casting, and file sharing. For now, the devices may appeal mainly to Android enthusiasts willing to tolerate rough edges, rather than mainstream laptop shoppers.