"For application developers, the web is the platform." That's what Google wrote when it announced ChromeOS back in 2009, describing a desktop operating system focused on open web technologies. But the reveal of Android-based and Gemini-heavy Googlebooks signals a seismic shift in its software philosophy. Google isn’t getting rid of ChromeOS quite yet, but Googlebooks are clearly the company’s new focus. It admits as much, with Alex Kuscher, Google’s senior director for laptops and tablets, saying, "We see an opportunity to rethink laptops again.”

But ChromeOS never won over many macOS or Windows users because Google gave up on the idea too early. It began losing interest in the web as an application platform in 2016, when it launched Android apps on ChromeOS. As such, the modern ChromeOS experience involves a mix of Android apps, browser tabs, and progressive web apps. Many Android apps fail to resize correctly and understandably prioritize touch input, so I mostly find them awkward on Chromebooks. And now, with the push for Gemini AI both in ChromeOS and this new OS for Googlebooks, the focus on a lightweight OS seems dead.

Google Wants AI to Replace the Operating System

Google’s main motivation with the Android-based OS on Googlebooks seems to be to add Gemini AI everywhere it can. Kuscher explains, “computing [is shifting] from an operating system to an intelligence system.” This should all sound familiar if you're up-to-date on Microsoft’s Copilot push in Windows. I know I'm not alone in not liking most Copilot AI features, and Googlebooks seem to be aiming for an even more heavy-handed AI strategy.

One example Google highlighted in its announcement is the Magic Pointer feature, which makes your cursor “come alive with Gemini” whenever you wiggle it. It sounds OK at first (much like Microsoft’s Click To Do), but I anticipate it simply getting in the way of how I use my computer. I think most people will also think Google is overreaching with such features, especially if they are accustomed to the simplicity of ChromeOS.

Android Still Doesn't Belong on Laptops

Google is talking a lot about AI, but the Android-based desktop environment for Googlebooks is also a major story here. Thus far, Google has avoided saying that these machines will run Android. Instead, Kuscher tells Wired that Google "is building on top of Android technologies—the apps are primary citizens that have access to hardware, have access to the OS at a level that would not be possible otherwise.” Google has long been working on combining Android and ChromeOS as part of the Aluminium project.

The Googlebook experience sure looks shiny, and maybe it's an inevitable evolution of Google's desktop platform. Still, it’s not at all what I want from any laptop, and it shouldn't come at the expense of ChromeOS. Yes, Googlebooks will run Chrome, but their main goal is to shoehorn in Android apps and fill every corner with Gemini AI features. That's a major downgrade for people like me who appreciate what ChromeOS is: a simple, consistent, and web-centric operating system that actually belongs on traditional PCs.

ChromeOS Failed Because Google Stopped Believing in It

As a lightweight operating system optimized for running web applications, ChromeOS should be more popular. After all, your Windows PC is likely full of apps based on web technologies. I know I spend most of my day running web apps in Chrome on my Windows 11 work PC. Moreover, ChromeOS requires less memory and storage than other OSes, which is a key advantage in the age of astronomical component prices.