
Meet the Googlebook — I tried Google's new answer to the MacBook that combines ChromeOS with Android, and this could be the start of something big
THE SO WHAT
A MacBook-class device that runs both ChromeOS and Android natively gives Google a clearer story for developers and a new default laptop for Android-first users. If you build Android apps, test them on Googlebook hardware early—windowing, input, and performance quirks will decide whether this becomes a serious work machine.
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