We are mere days away from the launch of Googlebooks, the long-awaited Android laptops that Google hopes will compete with macOS and Windows. But what of Chromebooks? There have been hints that Google plans to sunset its web-first ChromeOS platform, and a new support page lays out some of the specifics.
The support page, spotted by 9to5Google, aims to explain the role of Googlebooks to Chrome Enterprise and Education customers. The page starts off by noting that Googlebook OS, which is Android even if Google doesn’t like to say that, will offer an enhanced experience with deeper system capabilities and lots of AI.
Like Chromebooks, Googlebooks are guaranteed 10 years of software support. However, the latest Chromebook models won’t get that in the traditional way. Google’s support page says that it plans to continue ChromeOS support through “mid-2034,” so there are already devices with support windows beyond that.
This 2034 timeline was previously mentioned in a court filing, so this is not something Google has just decided to do. However, putting it on a support page is different than including it on page 18 of a 30-page legal document. Even if Googlebooks are aimed mainly at consumers right now, Google plans to make it a replacement for the Chromebooks used by its business and education customers.
Rather than get into a Windows XP situation in which it had to keep extending update support, the support page says that Google intends to upgrade newer Chromebooks to the Googlebook OS. It doesn’t have specifics on the timeline or which models will be included, but the company does note that, in many cases, this will be a “direct migration.”
It’s understandable that Google doesn’t want to make this more clear—Chromebooks may not have caught on for consumers, but they’re big in schools and business. Googlebooks won’t have comparable management tools for a year or more, according to the support page. If Google is more open about ditching ChromeOS, its Chromebook business could take a dive before Googlebooks are even theoretically in a position to take over.
In its public statements, Google representatives have only said that Chromebooks will continue to exist. However, this guidance certainly makes it sounds like the platform’s days are numbered. That may present issues for organizations like schools that became accustomed to getting capable, easily managed PCs for dirt cheap. As Google has explained on numerous occasions, Googlebooks are intended to be a premium product.
Maybe Google’s partners will explore budget-friendly Googlebooks eventually, but the initial lineup starts at $899. It’s impossible to spend that kind of money on a Chromebook today.
