A week-long test of the Asus Googlebook 14 documents how an Android-based laptop handles phone apps and browsers in practice.
Wireless app use worked with a Google Pixel 11 Pro, but some apps were unavailable for security reasons.
Browser support varied too: Chrome supported extensions and vertical tabs, while Brave stopped working and Edge did not get past its start screen.
Setup was simple, but search didn't work as expected. When Akhtar typed "mail," results from the web appeared instead of apps. He had to type "Gmail" to find the app.
Gmail didn't show all of his accounts together. To see another email address, he had to switch accounts. However, he was able to view his work and personal emails at the same time: he opened one account in the Gmail app and the other in a browser.
Mobile applications and connectivity
Wirelessly using mobile apps on the laptop worked with the Google Pixel 11 Pro. Akhtar used the Airbnb app, for example. Some other apps, including the verification app he uses, were not available on the laptop for security reasons.
When the laptop was released, it didn't support Samsung phones. Support was added later. The Samsung Notes app wasn't available in the Google Play Store, and attempts to install it through other means also failed. This issue was later fixed.
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There were also issues with browsers. Brave didn’t support add-ons or vertical tabs and stopped working on the laptop after half a day. Microsoft Edge wouldn’t go beyond the home screen. Chrome worked and supported add-ons and vertical tabs, but Akhtar couldn’t access the bookmarks and browsing history he had accumulated after switching from Chrome.
Transferring 30GB from Google Drive repeatedly failed when done through the Files app. With the Solid Explorer app, the transfer completed without a problem.
What could Gemini do?
Gemini worked well for general questions and task planning. Akhtar also tried out Magic Pointer, a feature that lets you select something on the screen and ask for help from artificial intelligence. The feature did what it promised.
In two of the tasks he tried, Gemini didn't complete what it was asked to do. It didn't rename files. When Akhtar asked to install Fantastical Calendar, it provided a link to the Google Play Store, but it didn't install the app.
The request to “find my snapshots” opened Google Photos. When asked to enable dark mode, it opened the relevant setting, but Akhtar had to change it himself. And when asked to find files, Gemini replied that it could not search directly in files stored on the laptop.
Akhtar felt that Googlebook OS needed more time and could not yet compete with macOS and Windows. During the test, he installed system updates and tried solutions to problems.
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