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After a long stretch of leaks and rumors, Google finally formally took the wraps off the first tranche of Android-powered Googlebooks this month. The introduction of a new laptop operating system from Google raises some questions about the future of ChromeOS and the many, many existing laptops that run that operating system. Google says it’ll still support those machines — and that some of them will actually become Googlebooks.
In a Help Center post published last week, Google makes clear that Chromebooks that are already on the market will continue to receive updates throughout their promised support window. It also says that many of the “newest Chromebook devices” will be eligible to switch from ChromeOS to Googlebook OS.
Google hasn’t shared much else about the transition process. It says that more information about switching and which devices will be eligible to make the jump “will be shared soon.”
Based on what we’ve heard so far, it sounds like Chromebooks and Googlebooks will coexist for the foreseeable future. That checks out, given ChromeOS VP John Maletis said in May that new Chromebooks were still in development. From a branding perspective, that’s a little confusing — ChromeOS and Googlebook OS look alike and offer similar functionality, making for unwelcome nuance for casual consumers shopping for easy-to-use laptops. Still, it’s good to have explicit confirmation that Googlebooks won’t immediately make existing Chromebooks obsolete.
The first wave of Chromebooks from the likes of Acer, Lenovo, and Dell will be available starting in early October.
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