售价 899 美元的 Googlebook，是 Google 押注用户会为 Gemini 换新笔记本

Google 在 5 月首次公布其名为 Googlebook 的新款 AI 驱动笔记本后，于周一表示，这款新设备现已开放预订，售价 899 美元起。

旨在相比传统 Chromebook 提供更进一步体验的 Googlebook 运行 Android OS，配备桌面版 Chrome 浏览器及其他熟悉的 ChromeOS 元素。不过，这些新设备真正的吸引力在于：它们将以笔记本电脑这一新形态，突出呈现 Gemini 的最新能力。

Google 试图提供一款具备独特功能的笔记本电脑，包括 AI 驱动的光标、通过氛围编程创建的 Widget，以及对 AI 增强听写的支持。后一项功能名为 Rambler，可将杂乱、冗长的思绪倾倒内容整理为可读文本。

此举押注于 AI——具体而言是 Google 的 Gemini——足以吸引用户购买一台将 AI 原生内置的全新笔记本，而不是通过安装桌面应用或在浏览器中访问 AI。此外，这些设备最终或可取代 Chromebook，将数百万原 Chromebook 用户带入 Gemini AI 生态。

在 Googlebook 上，Google 正尝试重新定义桌面计算中的“指向并点击”体验，使其加入 AI 元素：光标将成为连接 Gemini 的通道。该公司提出了多种可能的使用方式，例如高亮网页内容供 Gemini 处理、让 Gemini 判断鼠标悬停指向的一封电子邮件是否可疑，或选中多张图片后要求 Gemini 将其共同可视化。

图片来源： Google

在实际使用中，这项功能与 Android 的“Circle to Search（圈选搜索）”并没有太大不同。后者允许智能手机用户通过圈选、高亮或轻点等手势连接至 Google Search，而 Google Search 当然也包含 AI 功能。尽管这是利用人们手机使用方式的巧妙设计，但 Circle to Search 本身并未引发用户大规模转向 Android。

同样，这个名为 Magic Cursor 的 AI 指针，也不太可能成为 Googlebook 的主要卖点，尤其是在如今 AI Agent 已能够接管你的电脑和浏览器、替你完成任务的情况下。

不过，Google 的 Rambler 可能是这次升级中最出色的 AI 功能之一，因为它满足了一项出乎意料地实用的需求。但即便如此，它也不足以成为购买新设备的理由，因为它更像是一项“有了很好”的功能，而非刚需。

图片来源： Google

氛围编程 Widget 同样只是一个小幅新增功能。Googlebook 的其他功能，如 Gemini Spark 和 Gemini Live，也并不需要特殊的新硬件。

Googlebook 更有趣之处在于，它似乎是 Google 长期计划的一部分：争取目前依赖 Chromebook 的庞大 K-12 教育市场，并将其推向公司的 Gemini AI。Google 曾表示，学校中约有 5000 万台 Chromebook 供学生和教育工作者使用。

今年 5 月，这家 公司向 TechCrunch 表示，现有 Chromebook 将继续获得支持，但其中许多设备未来将有资格迁移至新的 Googlebook 体验。

图片来源： Google

这款售价 899 美元的设备将包含 12 个月 Google AI Pro 服务，提供 5TB 云存储空间、Gemini Advanced 工具，以及 3 个月的 YouTube Premium、Adobe Photoshop 等服务。Google 表示，这些设备将获得最长 10 年的定期更新。

目前可通过 Google Store、Best Buy 及其他零售商 预订 Googlebook。设备将于 10 月 4 日在美国上市，并于 10 月 5 日在加拿大、英国、爱尔兰、法国、德国和澳大利亚上市。

新产品线中的旗舰设备由 Acer、ASUS、Dell、HP 和 Lenovo 制造，采用铝、镁合金和碳纤维等材料。它们最高配备 2.8K OLED 显示屏、玻璃触觉触控板和背光键盘。在核心硬件方面，设备将采用 Intel 和 Qualcomm 处理器，并搭配专用 NPU。Google 表示，该设备可提供最长 14 小时的续航时间。

After first unveiling its new AI-powered laptop, dubbed Googlebook, in May, Google on Monday said the new device is now available for preorder for $899.

Meant to offer a step up from traditional Chromebooks, Googlebooks run on Android OS with a desktop version of the Chrome browser and other familiar ChromeOS elements. However, the real pull for the new devices is that they’ll prominently feature Gemini’s latest capabilities in a new format: the laptop.

Google is trying to offer a laptop with unique features like an AI-powered cursor, vibe-coded widgets, and support for AI-enhanced dictation. The latter is a feature called Rambler, which cleans up messy, rambling brain dumps into readable text.

The move is a bet that AI, specifically Google’s Gemini, could be enough of a draw to get people to buy a new laptop that bakes in AI instead of running them via desktop apps you install or access through the browser. In addition, the devices could eventually replace Chromebooks, bringing millions of former Chromebook customers to Gemini AI.

On the Googlebook, Google is trying to reinvent the “point-and-click” experience of desktop computing to now include an AI element: The cursor serves as a conduit to Gemini. The company suggests various ways this could be used, like highlighting content on a web page for Gemini to work with, asking Gemini to see if an email you’ve hovered your cursor over is suspicious, or selecting images and then asking Gemini to visualize them together.

Image Credits: Google

In practice, this feature isn’t very different from Android’s “Circle to Search,” which allows smartphone owners to use gestures like circling, highlighting, or tapping to connect with Google Search, which of course, also includes AI. While it’s a clever way to take advantage of the ways people use their phones, Circle to Search on its own didn’t inspire a mass exodus to Android.

Similarly, Magic Cursor, as the AI pointer is called, won’t likely be a main selling point for the Googlebook, especially now that we have AI agents that can take over your computer and browser to do tasks for you.

Google’s Rambler, however, may be one of the best of the AI features in this upgrade, as it meets a surprisingly useful need. However, this, too, isn’t enough reason to buy a new device, as it feels more like a feature that’s nice to have than a necessity.

Image Credits: Google

Vibe-coding widgets are a minor addition, as well. Other Googlebook features, like Gemini Spark and Gemini Live, also don’t require special, new hardware.

What’s more interesting about the Googlebook is how it’s seemingly part of Google’s longer-term plan to capture a large part of the K-12 market that currently relies on Chromebooks and push them toward the company’s Gemini AI. There are somewhere around 50 million Chromebooks in schools, used by students and educators, Google has said.

In May, the company told TechCrunch that its current Chromebooks would continue to be supported, though many would become eligible to transition to the new Googlebook experience in the future.

Image Credits: Google

The $899 device will include 12 months of Google AI Pro, which gives you 5TB of cloud storage, Gemini Advanced tools, and 3 months of YouTube Premium, Adobe Photoshop, and more. The devices will receive regular updates for up to 10 years, Google said.

Googlebook preorders are open now on the Google Store and at Best Buy and other retailers. Devices will hit shelves on October 4 in the U.S. and on October 5 in Canada, the U.K., Ireland, France, Germany, and Australia.

Flagship devices in the new range are being built by Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, and Lenovo, with materials like aluminum, magnesium alloy, and carbon fiber. They feature up to 2.8K OLED displays, haptic glass trackpads, and backlit keyboards. Under the hood, they’ll run on processors from Intel and Qualcomm paired with dedicated NPUs. Google says the device will offer up to 14 hours of battery life.