Up next in 10
Talking All Things Googlebook with Google VP John Maletis
May 12, 2026
Join Chrome Unboxed Plus for access to our private Discord, an ad-free website experience, AMAs, exclusive giveaways, and more! Start your 7-day FREE TRIAL here: https://chromeunboxed.com/join/
Buy Chrome Unboxed Light Bar merch: https://cottonbureau.com/p/YGGDM3/shirt/glowbar#/23914930/tee-men-premium-heavyweight-black-100percent-cotton-s
š Shop the best Chromebook deals today: https://chromeunboxed.com/the-best-chromebook-deals-today-updated/
š§ Subscribe to our Upstream newsletter: https://bit.ly/4jVq0de
ć»ć»ć»ć»ć»ć»ć»
Today is a massive day for Chromebook fans and users! After months of tracking Project Aluminium and speculating about the future of Chromebooks, ChromeOS and how this new, merged OS will work, Google has officially pulled the curtain back on their next evolution of laptop computing: Googlebook.
To get a better understanding of what this new category of devices actually means for users, we had the incredible opportunity to sit down with Google VP John Maletis for an exclusive interview. We dug into everything from the overarching vision of the platform to the highly anticipated return of a fan-favorite hardware feature.
Read more: https://chromeunboxed.com/exclusive-googlebook-qa-interview-with-google-vp-john-maletis-video/
ā Fueled by Fresh Roasted Coffee! Buy the special edition Chrome Unboxed bag here: https://chromeunboxed.com/coffee
Subscribe to the channel: http://bit.ly/2xFuj6L
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
So, Google at the Android show just
0:02
announced Google Book, the thing. Yeah.
0:06
The thing that Chromebooks are like
0:08
evolving into. We've been talking about
0:09
it. Aluminium OS, Project Aluminium, all
0:12
of this stuff. We finally have a name to
0:15
call this thing and it is so exciting.
0:17
But what was announced, awesome,
0:20
exciting, really cool look. But I think
0:22
we have something even a little more
0:24
exciting. So yeah, we had the
0:26
opportunity to have uh a little sitdown
0:29
chat virtually with uh John Molus, a
0:33
Google VP to give us a little bit of the
0:36
behind the scenes of Google Book and
0:39
some of the story, some of uh the inner
0:42
workings. And so without any further
0:46
ado, here's our conversation with John
0:48
Molus.
0:53
All right. So, I think we need to just
0:55
get into this. We've got John here.
0:57
Thank you so much uh for lending your
0:59
time um course and letting us talk about
1:01
this. I mean,
1:02
>> we've been uh excited about this for
1:04
quite some time. I mean, you know, it
1:06
really goes back to Chromebooks in
1:08
general, just, you know, like this
1:09
evolution and what's happening. And
1:11
>> uh yeah, so we're we're very excited to
1:13
get into this. I'm sure anybody who's
1:15
watching this is ready for you to start
1:17
talking about it. doesn't want to listen
1:18
to me uh prognosticate about things. So,
1:21
um without any further ado,
1:23
>> yeah, let's dive right in.
1:24
>> Yeah, let's jump in with this first
1:25
question.
1:25
>> We got a couple questions here. We've
1:26
got several questions.
1:28
>> We got more than a couple.
1:29
>> Of course, you always do. You always do,
1:31
I
1:33
>> brain's always going, you know.
1:34
>> Um so, how how exactly is Google
1:37
handling the branding for both um the OS
1:40
and the hardware moving forward? So,
1:42
obviously we're talking about Google
1:44
Book. Um, this this new thing that was
1:47
just announced, um, this thing that's
1:49
still a bit of an enigma for everybody
1:51
who's who's watched that official
1:53
announcement. Um, so like how are you
1:55
all thinking about handling that moving
1:56
forward? Cuz, you know, we've got now
1:58
this branding again of hardware, which
2:00
um, I think we get to that in another
2:02
question uh, down here a little bit, but
2:04
you know, it's it's not just an OS
2:06
brand, you know, it's it's a hardware
2:07
and an OS brand. And so, like, how are
2:09
you guys thinking about um kind of
2:11
moving forward with some of that
2:12
branding and and how it's going to work?
2:14
>> Yeah. Um well, I mean, first of all,
2:16
thanks thanks so much for having me. Um
2:18
I I always enjoy our conversations. Um
2:20
and you're going to have to bear with me
2:22
because uh I'm about to say the word
2:25
Google book. That was the right there.
2:28
That was the first time I've ever said
2:29
that word to anyone outside of the
2:32
company and even within the company. I
2:34
uh I don't always say it, so I'm
2:37
probably gonna uh bounce back and forth
2:39
between code names, but um no, we're
2:41
we're
2:42
>> uh incredibly excited about about um the
2:46
product uh and the brand associated with
2:49
it. And you know, so what we're what
2:51
we're doing is we're bringing you know,
2:53
worldclass Chrome browser, the powerful
2:57
app portfolio of of the Play Store, um
3:00
adding our own special sauce uh to the
3:02
experience. um adding uh key components
3:05
of of the Android tech stack into this
3:09
new category of devices that we're
3:11
calling Google Books. Um, and uh, you
3:14
know, we could spend some time talking
3:16
about the evolution of how we came up
3:18
with that brand, but uh, it's a, you
3:20
know, I think it's a testament to um,
3:23
our our conviction in creating this new
3:26
category and and putting um, you know, a
3:29
very important corporate brand uh, uh,
3:32
associated with our our new product. I
3:34
mean, I'll tell you like as we were
3:36
thinking about what this might be
3:38
called, I don't know. No,
3:40
>> we thought of Google Book and then as
3:42
soon as we didn't as we didn't and then
3:45
as soon as we saw as soon as we saw it,
3:48
you know, the the reveal, we were like,
3:50
oh, Google Book like there it is.
3:53
And I think there is like I would maybe
3:55
like you to explain a little bit of
3:58
maybe how you all came up with that but
4:01
I I think it's important to also point
4:03
out like you are putting Google on this
4:07
like this is this is a Google book like
4:10
so I think there's something to that
4:12
too.
4:12
>> Yeah. And I mean um I don't know if you
4:14
can share anything about like if the the
4:17
OS itself is going to be because that's
4:18
that's where our minds were the whole
4:20
time. We're like what?
4:20
>> We were thinking about what OS like okay
4:23
is Android this or Pixel or
4:25
>> Gemini OS Gemini
4:26
>> trying to figure out the OS name. Um you
4:28
know is there anything that you can
4:29
comment on as far as the actual naming
4:31
of the OS or how it's going to be
4:33
referred to to people.
4:35
>> Yeah I mean we're announcement so far is
4:38
really just focused on the category name
4:40
which is Google book. We'll we'll be
4:42
sharing kind of more from a branding on
4:44
the core operating system uh um in in
4:48
the coming months. Um, so we're not
4:49
ready to to unveil that. But I think
4:51
that the biggest thing is that it's um,
4:55
you know, we're we're we've been
4:56
spending the last several months, last
4:58
couple years, just bringing together so
5:00
many different components from across
5:03
uh, Google's tech stack. Um I mentioned
5:05
Android uh emergence of Gemini and
5:08
Gemini intelligence into the experience
5:10
and uh and what we're really um focused
5:13
on right now is just making sure that
5:15
we're getting that this the concept of a
5:18
new category of devices out there. So um
5:21
not trying to give a non-answer other
5:23
than we'll we'll share uh we'll share
5:25
the operating system in coming months.
5:27
>> Fair enough.
5:28
>> Yeah. Um, you know, you kind of
5:30
mentioned this with the, you know, the
5:32
Android components, but we've obviously
5:34
been tracking a lot of the Android
5:36
desktop development. Um, you know, uh,
5:40
uh, uh, windowowing. I remember when,
5:42
uh, uh, windowing, uh, came out on the
5:44
Pixel tablet. I was so excited and was
5:46
testing it and like there's been all
5:47
these things that have slowly started to
5:49
make it, you know, more functional. Um,
5:51
so what would you say are the key
5:54
differences between Google Book and
5:57
Android Desktop? And are there
6:00
similarities? Is there crossover?
6:02
>> Yeah, I mean, you'll you'll find um some
6:04
similar types of experiences uh flowing
6:06
across, but um I think that I'm glad you
6:09
asked this question because it's a it's
6:11
actually core to the decision that we
6:14
went down a couple years ago to even
6:17
start this project. But it it
6:19
effectively we kind of took a step back.
6:21
We saw, you know, the incredible uh
6:24
value and importance of having uh
6:27
multiple devices being able to
6:29
seamlessly communicate and connect with
6:31
one another. A lot of the better
6:33
together experiences that we we talked
6:35
about. Um but then we're also just
6:37
looking at the form factor that is the
6:38
laptop and thinking to ourselves, okay,
6:41
there's connectivity across devices and
6:43
an ecosystem that really matters. And
6:45
then there's this intelligence layer
6:47
that's coming through. And so we said,
6:49
okay, what's unique about the laptop
6:51
form factor? Sure, it's a large screen.
6:53
Um, you have that with tablets. Uh, it's
6:56
got a keyboard. It's got a trackpad. And
7:00
that's where we started to think about,
7:01
okay, what are the unique things that
7:03
our form factor has that other form
7:04
factors do not have? And so you saw, you
7:07
know, magic pointer as a perfect
7:09
example. like this is like taking the
7:11
cursor that has like not evolved in 40
7:15
some odd years and you know when you
7:18
have this incredible new set of
7:21
intelligence experiences
7:23
um you know powered by Gemini uh you can
7:27
actually do some incredible new things
7:29
with things that I think have we've all
7:31
and I'm not throwing shade on anyone I
7:33
think the entire the entire industry has
7:36
just stopped thinking about hey how can
7:39
you how can you actually innovate on the
7:41
core components of what makes a
7:43
particular form factor. And so that's
7:45
where you know if you think about you
7:47
know more to your question of what's
7:49
different uh between Google book and
7:51
Android desktop it really starts with
7:53
the form factor um and then it's but
7:56
it's end to end right you're going to
7:58
see these incredibly beautiful devices
8:02
um incredibly powered devices uh so
8:05
working with Intel Qualcomm MediaTek um
8:09
just amazing SOC's
8:11
um and it's end to end the entire
8:13
experience is end to end and um and
8:15
that's you know that's what we're really
8:18
excited about and also you know some of
8:19
the things that we've done with Chrome
8:21
OS like you know um pushing the the
8:24
operating system and and controlling the
8:27
experience of of the operating system so
8:29
that we don't have some of those
8:30
fragmentation experiences.
8:32
>> So a perfect tie-in kind of to dovtail
8:35
into this. So, you know, again, with us
8:38
not getting the name right, most of that
8:39
was cuz I was really focused on like
8:41
what the OS was going to be. So, I
8:43
honestly did not believe that um you all
8:46
were going to kind of get back into the
8:48
same uh way of making devices that you
8:51
did with Chromebooks in that Chromebooks
8:53
are all Chromebooks, you know, like
8:55
there's a there's a brand of hardware um
8:57
versus like in the Windows world where,
9:00
you know, OEMs make their own kind of
9:02
line of devices, but there's
9:04
>> there's not there's not a Windows book.
9:06
Yeah. Or there Surface, but that was
9:08
almost like they're just their brand of
9:10
laptop. you know, it's not a here the
9:12
piece is has branded something
9:14
>> making them and Chromebook is very
9:15
unique in that way. Um, it's something I
9:17
always always loved about Chromebooks,
9:18
but
9:19
>> um, so what I guess was the thinking
9:22
behind kind of keeping with that
9:23
strategy of saying, you know, is it I
9:25
know you mentioned a little bit of the
9:26
the end to end stuff. Are we going to
9:28
see um just cuz I want to be clear cuz
9:30
people will ask, are we going to see the
9:32
same um I don't know kind of rigid rules
9:35
around what you can and can't do with
9:37
the OS, what you can and can't do with
9:38
the keyboard, all the same stuff we see
9:40
with Chromebooks. Is it going to be that
9:41
way? And
9:42
>> almost like that seal of approval.
9:43
>> Yeah. Cuz if so, I mean that clearly
9:45
that stops a lot of fragmentation.
9:47
There's already been tons of comments
9:48
about, oh, see, you know, you know, this
9:51
thing, this new thing they're doing,
9:52
they're going to invite Android in, it's
9:53
going to go 100 different ways. Um can
9:56
you speak to kind of the the end to end
9:58
idea of Google book maybe a little bit
10:00
as it relates to Chromebook?
10:01
>> Yeah, of course. And I mean and this is
10:04
you know when when we're making a
10:06
decision on uh on brand the question
10:10
does go into brand a bit um in that like
10:14
if we're going to put the Google brand
10:15
on a product uh like Google book we need
10:18
to make sure that it's got a a really
10:21
high bar of quality and polish against
10:24
it. And you know, if I just if I go back
10:26
to like the beginning of Chrome OS, we
10:29
were all about speed, simplicity,
10:31
security, and part of that simplicity is
10:34
a consistent experience and not
10:36
fragmenting the user experience. And so,
10:40
uh, that's something that we're really
10:41
taking to heart here and making sure
10:43
that it is a consistent experience. And
10:45
there are hardware specs um everything
10:48
from the processor uh to the memory to
10:51
the storage uh to the keyboard layout.
10:54
Um at the same time, one of the things
10:56
that our OEM partners have have um
10:59
really been asking for and and we're we
11:02
want to meet their their ask is is how
11:05
can they actually move faster from a
11:08
differentiation perspective on our
11:09
platform. So you keep the things that
11:11
are really important uh to be consistent
11:14
but also allow them to um you know to to
11:18
do things like elevate their brand in
11:21
the experience. And you'll see you know
11:22
at launch you'll see an ability for our
11:26
partners to elevate their brand. Um so
11:28
it's it's a it's a very fine balance. We
11:31
want that consistent look and feel, but
11:34
we also want our our partners to be able
11:36
to to shine as well. And so you'll see
11:39
uh examples of that both on the hardware
11:41
and on the software.
11:42
>> And I can't believe we haven't even
11:44
mentioned it yet, but the the Glow Bar,
11:46
right? Is that the official name? The
11:47
Glow Bar, right?
11:48
>> Yeah.
11:49
>> You know, can you tell us a little bit
11:50
of that inspiration to include that on
11:52
these devices cuz that's something, you
11:54
know, that goes way back. We've got a
11:56
we've got a shirt. I need one of our
11:58
merch shirts.
11:59
>> One of our merch is just the, you know,
12:00
the Pixel light bar. Uh now now the glow
12:03
bar. Yeah, that was it was such a um it
12:07
was such a well uh received and
12:10
well-loved um uh kind of um facet of the
12:15
product. And um you know, I I don't have
12:18
enough fingers and toes to to count how
12:21
many times our UX team has been just
12:23
like, "Hey, we got to get the Glow Bar.
12:25
We got to get Glow Bar back." And we've
12:27
always wanted to
12:28
>> and it's always kind of been on a shelf
12:31
uh in a in a in a playbook. And um it
12:35
actually came about really quickly.
12:37
There was a um there was the team uh
12:41
kind of put together a a proposal for
12:43
what the Glow Bar could be, what it
12:44
could look like. Um uh how it could
12:47
really help establish this like premium
12:50
category of devices and uh and so having
12:54
having said no, not yet for so many
12:57
years, the time was perfectly right
12:59
here. and and you're going to see um
13:01
it's it um I think it's going to stand
13:03
out quite a bit. Like I have this vision
13:05
of people, you know, working away in a
13:07
in a cafe with the Glow Bar uh you know,
13:11
and it'll have some functionality to it
13:13
that I think will be really uh really
13:15
really cool. Um
13:17
>> uh that will kind of
13:19
>> be more of like a
13:20
>> almost like a hardware light effect that
13:23
um that is uh mimicking some of the
13:26
workflows that you're doing. So, I'll
13:28
I'll keep it there, but we're really
13:30
really excited about it.
13:31
>> And those are like those are the small
13:33
little things that we're doing to like
13:35
>> really establish this category.
13:38
>> Back in the day with both the original
13:40
Chromebook Pixel and then the 2015
13:42
model, like it was a regular occurrence
13:44
uh if you were working out in public for
13:46
people to stop and be like, "What is
13:47
that?"
13:48
>> Uhhuh.
13:48
>> Oh, what's that? Then I do I would do
13:50
the contra code, you know, and make the
13:51
light dance.
13:52
>> Make a dance.
13:53
>> They'd be all excited.
13:54
>> Yeah. and then close it, you know, tap
13:56
it for the battery. Like a couple little
13:58
tricks and it was just like this great
13:59
little bar trick, but it was an
14:01
eye-catching thing for sure. So,
14:02
>> yeah, I think it'll be it'll be
14:04
something that will absolutely
14:06
distinguish
14:07
>> the Google book. Um, so that's
14:09
incredible. Um now now one of the things
14:12
that um you know a lot of our audience
14:16
is is asking us a lot of our readers our
14:18
community um is about the the the Chrome
14:23
OS experience moving to Google Book. Um,
14:27
>> are we going to have are we going to
14:29
have um, you know, parody as far as
14:32
features between
14:34
>> Chrome OS moving to whatever this new OS
14:36
is running on Google Book, you know, and
14:38
what I'm thinking of is, you know, all
14:40
of the virtual desk functionality, um,
14:43
quick insert, um,
14:44
>> multiaste,
14:44
>> multipaste, you know, some of these
14:46
things that we uh, uh, the the screen
14:48
recorder tool that is, I think, the best
14:50
in the industry, like
14:51
>> like some of those things that we use
14:54
literally every day are are are the the
14:57
the daily Chromebook users, the guys
15:00
that are using this for their work, for
15:03
for for everything, um are they going to
15:05
be able to make that transition if they
15:07
wanted to go buy a Google book? Are they
15:08
going to be able to get everything that
15:10
they had on a on a Chromebook?
15:12
>> Yeah. Um, I mean, you know, there's been
15:14
so many years of like of evolution of
15:18
Chrome OS and uh and and as you
15:22
rightfully pointed out, so many
15:23
different features that um certainly
15:27
power users have become accustomed to,
15:29
but also just everyday users and um
15:32
we've learned a ton along the way. Um,
15:35
and even things that like that I didn't
15:38
I personally didn't think were going to
15:41
be such a big deal or so widely used.
15:44
Um, screen recording, screen capture,
15:47
uh, multi multi-paste, etc. Like, I
15:50
didn't really think that those would be
15:52
super widely used. Um, but they are. And
15:54
so, we're like, we've looked at all of
15:56
those features and said, okay, let's
15:59
make sure that where it makes sense that
16:01
we're continuing to deliver it. Can I
16:03
tell you that the the, you know, buttons
16:07
and links and and knobs are going to be
16:09
in the same spot? No. Uh because it'll,
16:11
you know, we're we're rethinking um so
16:13
much of it. But I think um what you'll
16:16
find is uh those core capabilities are
16:19
going to be there and in some ways we're
16:21
going to be redesigning them in ways
16:22
that we always wished we had in the
16:24
past.
16:25
>> That's that's kind of like what we were
16:26
talking about is like hopefully it's
16:28
this this evolution, right? It's it's
16:30
the hey, we've taken everything we've
16:32
learned from Chrome OS and this is the
16:34
next evolution of it.
16:36
>> Um would would you say that uh I'm just
16:39
going to call it Google Book OS for
16:41
right now cuz you know we we don't have
16:43
the name yet. Sorry, John. Google Book
16:45
OS. Um the OS that the Google Book is
16:48
going to run, would you say it's it's
16:50
built from the ground up with AI in
16:53
mind?
16:54
>> Yeah. So um you know it's we're taking
16:57
um taking aspects of the Android tech
17:00
stack um and then you know what what I
17:04
feel is happening in the industry across
17:07
all form factors is you're kind of
17:09
you're seeing like AI bolted on to the
17:12
side of of operating systems. um you
17:16
know going back a couple years ago when
17:18
we even embarked on this this project we
17:20
were looking at um this early innings
17:24
the early innings of what was going on
17:26
with AI and we're thinking to ourselves
17:28
like okay now is probably a good time to
17:31
make sure that we are um leveraging
17:35
other parts of the ecosystem that are
17:37
moving really fast in this area and uh
17:40
and also at the same time let's not have
17:43
AI be a bolt-on like let's let's see how
17:45
how we can bring AI into the core of the
17:47
operating system. And so we talk about
17:49
it this evolution of an operating system
17:51
to an intelligence system. Um and you
17:54
know AI there to help you in the moment
17:57
you need it. um not kind of beating down
18:00
your your your throat for like, hey, use
18:03
me, use me, use me, right? And so we've
18:05
really taken a lot of efforts to make
18:07
sure that um that it's it's a natural
18:10
feel and it's it's um there is a lot
18:12
that has been rewritten for uh for those
18:15
types of experiences.
18:16
>> Let's let's maybe change gears a little
18:18
bit. So, we're uh currently staring at
18:22
the Lenovo Chromebook 14 Chromebook Plus
18:25
14, I'm sorry, uh in front of us. And
18:27
so, you know, obviously there's a lot of
18:30
people thinking about buying Chromebooks
18:31
in the next few months before any of
18:33
this even hits shelves and is available
18:35
or is a thing that are thinking about,
18:37
oh, if I buy that, like this new thing
18:39
is going to come out, I'm going to miss
18:40
out. Like,
18:41
>> do we do we have any kind of
18:45
immediate like roadmap for, you know,
18:48
existing Chromebooks? Like, are we going
18:50
to see new like new Chromebook pluses
18:52
hit the market aside like with Google
18:54
Books at the same time? we can like
18:56
still see that and then what's that
18:58
transition kind of look like for
18:59
existing guys?
19:00
>> Yeah.
19:00
>> And yeah, um great great question. A few
19:03
different um important points to hit. Um
19:07
kind of I think at the root of your
19:09
question. Um first of all, there's like
19:12
I've seen the pipeline of upcoming
19:14
Chromebooks and Chromebook plus devices
19:17
and uh super robust uh you know through
19:20
this year and even into next year. Um,
19:23
so the the I oftentimes say like there's
19:26
never a better time to buy a Chromebook
19:28
um and a Chromebook plus device. Um, the
19:31
other aspect that I think is really
19:33
important is you'll remember I forget
19:36
how long ago it was like two two and a
19:37
half years ago we we said that we will
19:40
support Chromebooks for 10 years of of
19:43
uh of life from software and security
19:45
updates. And um we think that's really
19:48
important to to honor. um it's the right
19:52
thing from a customer relationship
19:54
perspective. It's also the right thing
19:56
from a sustainability perspective. So
19:58
that does mean we will be supporting
20:01
Chromebooks
20:02
um and Chrome OS in some cases through
20:05
2034.
20:07
Uh which is just pretty mind-blowing to
20:09
think about. Um but we think it's really
20:11
important and we want to honor the
20:13
commitment that we made to to the
20:14
market. Um and then um we'll be
20:18
publishing uh migratable platforms uh
20:22
those platforms that we'll be able to
20:23
migrate um to Google book. Um and uh I I
20:29
think um you know without without
20:32
oversharing I think um I think you'll
20:34
find it's not only a reasonable approach
20:37
but it's also a um I don't know I think
20:40
we're like honoring the spirit of of
20:42
longevity of devices and um now it'll be
20:45
different right like I think consumers
20:48
will have a um have one path to to
20:51
migrate their devices to to the
20:54
operating system running Google books Um
20:56
and then uh but I think in education and
20:59
in enterprise um I think they'll be uh
21:02
it'll be a bit more calculated I think
21:04
because we we just we need to really
21:06
make sure uh that that that experience
21:10
um uh is is seamless and so that's why
21:13
we're starting consumer there's a lot of
21:15
work we have to do from a management
21:17
capability perspective API policies etc
21:20
and also like make sure that the product
21:22
market fit and education uh for Google
21:25
Books is is super tight. Um and at that
21:29
point in time be able to migrate
21:31
devices. Um and then and then also you
21:34
know across all segments consumer
21:36
education enterprise we'll see people
21:38
who say I'm going to continue to keep my
21:40
Chromebook and run Chrome OS on it but
21:42
um for this part of my uh population of
21:46
users uh we're gonna start adopting
21:48
Google books. So, one thing we haven't
21:50
really addressed yet that that um
21:53
something you said there kind of brought
21:55
it up uh for me. Would you say that um
21:59
would you say that Google book as a
22:01
category is a premium category?
22:03
>> Yes. Um so, uh and and this is um you
22:08
know part and parcel with again
22:10
attaching the Google brand to this. Um
22:12
we are we are starting premium with
22:14
these devices. Uh, so I can't comment
22:17
and I I don't determine price for any of
22:20
these devices, but um they're I mean
22:23
I've seen the designs. Our OM partners
22:25
have stepped up enormously. These are
22:26
like beautiful devices, incredible
22:28
hardware. Um they're premium. Um and you
22:33
know that's that's um and it's premium
22:36
the entirety of it, right? So the
22:37
hardware um the intelligence system
22:40
associated with it. Um we haven't talked
22:42
about app developers but the apps that
22:44
are that are coming on board for launch
22:47
and beyond um is just exuding uh a
22:50
premium quality. Um and you know we've
22:53
always been about um about uh enabling
22:59
technology and and ability to to be
23:02
productive and access information
23:04
regardless of your price point. Um and
23:08
so over time we will we will come down
23:10
but these first devices are are super
23:11
premium.
23:12
>> Love it. Love it.
23:13
>> And what you just said kind of dubtails
23:16
you know talking about launch day one
23:18
kind of experiences. You know we early
23:21
earlier in the Android show they they
23:23
spoke about um Adobe Premiere
23:26
>> um which then got our gears going of
23:27
okay with Google book once it once they
23:29
you know they got to that part. Um, you
23:32
know, you kind of briefly mentioned it,
23:34
but again solidifying some stuff that we
23:36
know is going to get asked. You know,
23:37
when we're talk I I know you probably
23:39
can't name specific things, but when
23:40
we're talking about apps in the vein of
23:43
Adobe Premiere, you know, Photoshop, uh,
23:45
Microsoft Office, um, are these apps
23:48
going to be available? Are these
23:49
developers kind of on board with the pro
23:51
with the, uh, the platform? And um you
23:55
know ultimately again looking at this
23:58
and going this these things are going to
23:59
sit next to you know premium Windows
24:01
devices and premium MacBooks.
24:03
>> People need to know I'm I it's not the
24:05
Chrome OS thing where it's like well
24:06
there's this other app and if you get
24:07
this and bolt that you know you can edit
24:09
videos. It's like can I can I buy this
24:12
and aspirationally edit videos and stuff
24:13
like that or those those types of
24:15
applications whether people ever use
24:17
them or not actually going to be kind of
24:19
available on a large scale?
24:20
>> Yeah. Um so uh you know when in
24:25
embarking on uh on this this program um
24:30
there are different areas where
24:33
uh the leads and myself on the team have
24:35
really spent a lot of their time and um
24:39
outreach and partnership with app
24:41
developers is the area where I've been
24:43
spending the vast majority of my time.
24:45
So um uh so because it's so important,
24:49
right? And um I I can't name names as
24:53
you as you mentioned. Um but I will tell
24:56
you um the conversations with app
25:00
developers has been so different from
25:03
what we've been used to in the past. Um
25:05
part of it is because we're launching
25:07
premium. Uh part of it is because uh
25:10
we're now we now have an ability to run
25:13
truly native Android applications, not
25:16
emulated. So performance of these apps
25:19
is um is is incredible. Um and uh and
25:24
then they also just see this vision
25:25
where you know you get we're getting
25:28
much much closer to the point where an
25:30
app developer can build once and deploy
25:32
across form factors like it's it is
25:34
actually within reach now and I think
25:36
that's really exciting. It's exciting
25:38
for me should be exciting for our users
25:40
and it's really exciting for app
25:42
developers. Um the what's been really
25:45
interesting is um you know some of the
25:48
what I'll what I'll call traditional app
25:50
developers you mentioned a couple of
25:52
those apps um they are like they're all
25:57
in and rethinking the way that they want
26:00
to deliver uh their applications and
26:02
their services to customers. Um, and
26:05
then there's this whole other group of
26:08
app developers that um that are either,
26:12
you know, AI native or AI first. Um,
26:15
they're super progressive. Uh, and we've
26:19
been spending a lot of time with those
26:20
developers as well, and they immediately
26:23
see the opportunity here. Um, and it's
26:26
it's um everything from an application,
26:29
yes, being large screen optimized from a
26:31
real estate perspective, keyboard,
26:33
trackpad enabled, but then also you'll
26:35
see, you know, some app developer
26:37
partners that we're working with who are
26:39
going even deeper into the into the
26:43
intelligent system that we're offering
26:44
to drive unique experiences that at
26:47
least at launch will only be available
26:50
on Google Books. So, uh, very
26:53
long-winded way of saying, um, uh, that
26:56
kind of the momentum and energy in this
26:59
space is unlike I've ever seen. Um, at
27:03
the same time, like we will never be
27:05
done with this with this type of work of
27:07
of app optimization. And so, and that's
27:10
that's because, you know, I've always
27:13
said this, but like the hero app at
27:16
launch may not even exist today, right?
27:19
Because it's moving so quickly. It may
27:21
be two people in a garage in Kansas City
27:24
who are building a a incredible new
27:26
application and we want to make sure
27:28
that we can be a a great target for
27:30
them.
27:30
>> Yeah. Like this whole idea we've always
27:32
had of
27:34
as the web progressed, as AI started
27:38
becoming, you know, what it is becoming
27:40
now. We kept saying like Google Chrome
27:44
OS
27:46
browserbased computing has this
27:49
incredible
27:51
potential to be the the actual AI like
27:55
PC, you know, to actually be the like
27:58
true web computer. um you know and to
28:03
see you guys like putting all these
28:05
pieces together and I know you've
28:06
probably been working on this forever
28:07
and like you said like the next thing
28:09
might just be like right around the
28:10
corner the way things are progressing.
28:12
Um but to have a platform in place to
28:14
then hopefully build upon it is is super
28:17
super exciting.
28:18
>> Uh it just it just feels reminiscent of
28:20
like uh of the start of Chromebooks, you
28:23
know, like in 2011, you know, here's
28:25
this operating system that's based
28:27
around the web. And I don't even know
28:29
that anybody back then knew what that
28:30
meant or or how to even parse that cuz
28:32
the web was nothing compared to what it
28:34
can do and the capabilities it has as a
28:36
platform today. And so it's like that's
28:39
what this feels like to me of going okay
28:41
we're on the frontier of AI being in the
28:43
middle of all all kinds of things in
28:45
ways that we probably have no idea of.
28:47
And if this becomes the platform where
28:49
it's the easiest for those types of
28:50
experiences to get
28:52
>> deployed then you know we're on the cusp
28:54
of something pretty special it feels
28:56
like.
28:57
>> Yeah. I I totally agree and I I think
29:00
this has honestly been one of the
29:01
biggest challenges uh with with this
29:04
program is that the industry and the
29:08
space is moving so freaking quickly that
29:12
the stuff you think is, you know, the
29:15
stuff we thought was cool 12 months ago
29:17
that would be cool at launch becomes
29:20
table stakes. And there's this new set
29:23
of things that are uh that are even more
29:26
exciting but still early days and early
29:30
innings. And so like the biggest
29:32
challenge has been how do we make sure
29:33
that we've got this like flexible uh not
29:36
only a flexible roadmap but flexible
29:38
platform so that as as new experiences
29:42
emerge or new ways of accomplishing
29:44
tasks emerge like how do we make sure
29:46
that we can quickly absorb how those
29:48
things are working? And and this is
29:50
where like I think you know the power of
29:53
the web, power of native Android apps
29:56
and the power of these intelligence uh
29:58
ingredients is like all coming together
30:01
at at just a beautiful time.
30:03
>> Um it wasn't announced so I'm sure you
30:06
you can't tell us specifically but we've
30:09
mentioned kind of you know day one
30:11
launch. Can you give us at least a time
30:14
frame of when we might expect some
30:16
devices? Um
30:20
I uh this year.
30:23
>> Hey, that's something. We'll take it.
30:24
We'll take it.
30:25
>> That's something. All right. All right.
30:27
All right. I like it. I like it. And
30:29
>> because there was a ton of speculation
30:31
like, you know, there was a court case,
30:33
one of the I don't know, something where
30:35
>> somebody made a comment and it made it
30:37
sound like, yeah, this whole aluminium
30:39
thing is, you know, it's
30:41
>> it's summer of next year kind of thing,
30:43
27 type. that just didn't line up to
30:45
some of the things that we've been
30:46
tracking and keep an eye on and some of
30:48
the hardware that we feel.
30:49
>> I think a lot of Yeah. a lot. I mean,
30:51
it's as you all know, it's like it's
30:54
really important that if you're going to
30:56
announce anything and you know, the
30:58
Android show as kind of an initial
31:01
tease, um that uh you want to make sure
31:04
that you're uh you're not you're not
31:07
doing those types of teases or
31:09
announcements uh while still waiting
31:12
years for launch. And so, um, and I
31:15
think certain companies have found that
31:17
out and and we want to just make sure
31:19
that we're respecting the the the
31:22
narrative and the message.
31:24
>> So, uh, speaking of devices and launch,
31:27
you know, there's there's been um some
31:30
uh I don't know if it's official, but uh
31:33
the Samsung devices.
31:34
>> Yeah. So, it's all technically rumors.
31:36
It's
31:36
>> we got we got to at least ask.
31:38
>> Yeah. So, they've got the Galaxy Books
31:39
coming out. They're going to run
31:40
Android. speculation is that they're
31:42
going to be aluminium devices and I from
31:46
what I can tell like looking at some of
31:48
the stuff I'm like I don't know and then
31:50
when the the OEMs popped up for Google
31:52
Book
31:53
>> and they weren't on there that made me
31:55
just
31:55
>> go ahead and assume that for now
31:58
>> they're going to go do their own thing I
31:59
guess. Um and so like
32:02
>> yeah I mean is that is that something
32:05
that you all see especially with Android
32:07
desktop? I know you said there's going
32:08
to be these very clear indicators,
32:11
Google book versus just a phone running
32:13
Android desktop, but like do you all see
32:15
that as a a thing that could happen or
32:17
is likely to happen or something like
32:19
you're trying to stop from happening uh
32:21
in this space?
32:22
>> Yeah. Um, I mean there's there's uh very
32:27
little that we could or would want to
32:29
stop like that that's that's never
32:32
really been like core to um Google's DNA
32:35
like you know we want choice and we want
32:38
um we want platforms that different
32:42
partners can build whatever they
32:44
whatever they want. Um uh what you saw
32:47
the logos that you saw at the Android
32:49
show are that's for our launch window
32:51
and those are the partners we've been
32:52
spending a ton of time with but you
32:54
should expect more logos over time. Um
32:58
and
32:59
>> you know like the fact that uh that Dell
33:02
was even uh in this launch window.
33:04
>> So excited about that. I mean like I
33:06
I've I've worked with Dell my entire
33:08
time six plus years uh working on on
33:12
laptops here uh always in the commercial
33:14
space predominantly education
33:17
um and you know they've been they've
33:20
just been an incredible partner uh with
33:23
aluminium with Google books um and I
33:26
think you know early days when we
33:28
started talking to them about what we
33:30
were doing I think it was the moment
33:32
they should speak for themselves but I
33:33
think this is the moment in time where
33:34
they're like okay, this this makes sense
33:36
for us, for our brand, for where we're
33:39
going uh to get back into consumer um
33:43
with a a Google platform. And so um you
33:46
know, that's like a new entrant uh in
33:48
consumer for us. But um again, you
33:51
should expect more OEMs um more logos.
33:54
>> We've we've got one question. And I'm
33:56
going to let Robbie do it cuz he I think
33:58
every single time we talk to you, we
34:00
have to ask you this question in in the
34:02
many conversations we've had in the many
34:05
conversations we've had. I think we've
34:07
asked you this every single time at
34:09
events. Always a good question.
34:10
>> At events, on recordings, on the phone,
34:13
>> everyone wants to know.
34:14
>> I'll let Robbie take it away.
34:16
>> I know there's not going to be a
34:16
Pixelbook, so I have to ask the question
34:18
a little bit different, but you know,
34:20
are you all cons at least considering a
34:22
first-party Google book? And then if so,
34:25
like this is a little bit of a joke, but
34:28
what do you call that thing? You know, I
34:30
can't call it a Google Google book. You
34:32
know,
34:32
>> it's the Google book.
34:34
>> Google Google book. Um Google book. Uh
34:37
um so uh you have asked me this every
34:41
single time we've talked to as you
34:43
should, right? I mean, and so those uh
34:46
Chrome Unboxed uh fans who are dialing
34:48
into this know that that uh the Chrome
34:51
box team is doing their job. They should
34:52
be asking this question. Sadly, my
34:55
answer is consistent. Uh I I can't
34:58
comment on on first-party hardware road
35:00
maps. Um uh and uh um a different team
35:05
at Google and um you know, I don't
35:08
comment on other partners road maps,
35:11
other OEMs road maps unless they're part
35:13
of an announcement like they are with
35:14
this. So, um but I appreciate the
35:17
question. I always do.
35:18
>> Yeah.
35:19
>> And you should keep asking. Well, we're
35:21
still we're still very excited about
35:23
Google Book. Um I think what you've put
35:24
in place here um in this announcement is
35:28
>> truly, you know, the next evolution.
35:32
>> Y the way I'm looking at it, this is the
35:34
next evolution
35:36
>> of this technology that we've been
35:38
covering for,
35:39
>> you know, over 10 years now. Robbie
35:41
started it, you know, we really started
35:43
getting going in 2016. So 10 years ago,
35:45
we really started
35:46
>> like seriousness. Yeah. covering
35:47
Chromebooks, Chrome OS, and this is this
35:51
is massive. This is the next true
35:54
evolution, and um I know you guys have
35:57
been working, you know, incredibly hard
35:59
on it. Um we can't wait to see more, you
36:02
know, uh we want to see we want to see
36:05
this thing in action. We want to see the
36:06
devices. Um we're we're just selfishly
36:10
so excited for some some new hardware.
36:12
>> Oh, yeah. Um, you know, we've we've uh
36:15
we've been, you know, loving the Lenovo
36:18
Chromebook plus 14, you know, the Acer.
36:20
We we we've had some great devices, but
36:22
to have a new wave of premium consumer
36:26
devices that we can, you know,
36:29
wholeheartedly recommend people go by
36:31
and and when they walk into a Best Buy
36:33
and they see that light bar and they're
36:34
like, you know, this is incredible. This
36:36
is this is this is something I want to I
36:39
want to purchase and I want to I want to
36:40
I want to carry around in my backpack. I
36:41
think mixing that along with you know
36:45
you know high quality app developers um
36:48
experiences that cuz it's it's like
36:50
that's that is the table stakes now you
36:53
know in the laptop you know area and
36:56
>> you know that to a certain extent
36:58
Chromebooks have always been a well let
37:01
me explain how this works kind of thing
37:02
you know anytime I have a sit down with
37:04
somebody it's like there's always some
37:05
caveats that go with it and you know
37:07
I've spent a long time learning how to
37:09
how to workflow around all of those
37:11
things like I don't I don't think about
37:13
them anymore. But for most people,
37:15
>> you know, I'm reminded constantly of of
37:17
how those things, you know, just
37:18
interrupt workflows and are enough of a
37:20
reason to say I don't want to get that.
37:22
And so like
37:23
>> to have a device kind of in the same
37:24
category that's kind of this
37:26
evolutionary piece of hardware that all
37:28
of those excuses and caveats go away and
37:32
you know, we can see this realized thing
37:34
that probably will have a bunch of
37:35
things added that I I can't even think
37:38
of at this point. you know, when you
37:40
talk about the AI
37:40
>> and it's just a start as well like um I
37:44
mean the other thing that um we didn't
37:46
really touch upon um or I I I didn't
37:49
touch upon is I I think I think these
37:54
Google books are going to be incredible
37:57
devices for anyone regardless of what
38:01
type of phone you use. Um, I think if
38:04
you're an Android phone user and a
38:07
premium Android phone user, if I if I if
38:10
I'm being super honest, I don't think
38:12
that that person has had um a a great
38:17
companion option. Like we've done a lot
38:20
from Android to Chrome OS um but a lot
38:24
of work was going into that. When we're
38:26
on the same tech stack, that gets much
38:28
faster. We can move so much faster on
38:30
this. Reliability, stability of better
38:32
together experiences goes up. Um, you
38:35
know, different ways of sharing
38:37
information across your devices,
38:38
accessing information, having kind of
38:41
consistent um AI experiences across
38:44
these devices. So, like this is um and
38:48
you know, this was like part and parcel
38:50
behind why we even did this in the first
38:52
place. And so I think it's like an
38:54
opportunity for us to uh finally get on
38:57
the road to delivering a true companion
39:00
experience for in particular Android uh
39:04
um customers, but I think um you know
39:06
all phone operating systems as well.
39:09
>> Yeah, that that would be honestly huge.
39:11
Yeah.
39:11
>> I mean it's a huge thing because as an
39:13
Android phone user going to a MacBook
39:15
for me it's just like the the the idea
39:17
that those things would talk is
39:19
>> never never in the conversation. So
39:21
even, you know, if there's an option for
39:23
people to have other phones and, you
39:25
know, get a Google book and have that
39:27
same some of those same experiences even
39:29
if it's not the full experience like uh
39:31
yeah, that's that's huge. That is huge.
39:33
>> And even like Android to Windows um is
39:36
it's not the best experience. And and
39:39
it's it's not for a lack of of want.
39:42
It's you know different different tech
39:44
stacks make those things pretty
39:45
difficult. Um and you know having you
39:49
know bringing the Android components and
39:52
tech stack to Google books like really
39:55
really helps there. Um and and it's a
39:58
lot of like under the hood sausage
40:00
making that you both would understand
40:02
and I bet a lot of your uh your audience
40:05
would understand. But you know the the
40:07
mass appeal people who are looking at
40:10
these at at laptops don't understand
40:12
that. nor should they. They shouldn't
40:14
have to. But um you you can if you start
40:17
to look at architectures like this, you
40:19
really start to see the opportunity.
40:21
>> So, you know, um just just to kind of
40:24
wrap things up here, um we we're still
40:27
processing this. I'm sure we're going to
40:28
have a million more questions. Um but
40:31
but this has been fantastic. I think to
40:33
kind of to kind of wrap things up, you
40:35
know, any any kind of closing thoughts
40:37
you have for for our audience? Yeah, I
40:40
mean I think the I think the biggest
40:43
thing uh a few things. One is um kind of
40:46
what we were just talking about how uh
40:49
you know if you're an Android uh Android
40:52
user um this is going to be the most
40:55
incredible laptop companion for you. um
40:59
you know, if you're forwardlooking and
41:02
uh you know, embracing AI and looking
41:04
for AI to kind of cut through the noise
41:06
and not be um not be in your way, but
41:10
get stuff out of your way for you. Uh I
41:13
think these devices are going to be
41:14
incredible uh for that. Um and uh yeah,
41:19
what you what you saw at the Android
41:21
show is not everything. And so uh
41:24
there's a lot of really really uh
41:26
exciting stuff coming. Um and uh we can
41:29
always hop on more calls as you as you
41:32
have digested this news and have more
41:34
questions. We can uh we can go deeper on
41:36
some of those things. Um oh, I should
41:39
also say um this podcast I think is uh
41:44
going to go down in history as the first
41:47
uh podcast where um one recipient is on
41:52
a Google book.
41:54
>> Look at him. Oh man,
41:56
>> just slipping that in there at the end.
42:00
>> I love it. I love it. Let it go down.
42:03
Let it go down in history. Incredible.
42:06
Incredible.
42:07
>> There we go.
42:07
>> Well, I wish we could see I wish we
42:09
could see it from the other side, but
42:10
you know.
42:11
>> Yeah,
42:12
it's uh it's risk-free from my
42:14
perspective cuz
42:16
>> I love it.
42:16
>> Can't see what I'm uh what I'm talking
42:18
to.
42:19
>> I love it. I love it. Well, hey, one
42:21
last thing before we let you go. Um, I
42:23
see there's some uh perhaps uh aluminum
42:28
sculptures in the background there. Can
42:30
you can you tell us a little bit about
42:32
what we
42:32
>> Yeah, got there. Can you see? Okay, so
42:36
uh this is my office. Um I I keep a
42:39
pretty uh clutter-free office. We move
42:42
desks a lot at Google and so um I don't
42:45
like to unpack too much uh because then
42:48
if I have to move. Now, I've actually
42:50
been in this desk at this desk for a few
42:52
years now. So, if I do unpack, then I
42:54
know they're going to move me. Um, but
42:56
uh but those are actually um aluminum
43:00
foil hats. So, uh and this is I think
43:03
they're probably like a year and a half
43:04
old at this point, but there was a um
43:06
kind of the early the early group of
43:09
people who were working on aluminium um
43:12
the precursor to Google Book. Uh the
43:13
code name for Google Books. uh they had
43:15
a an on-site and they were going through
43:17
a bunch of bunch of like systems
43:20
architecture work and then they did a
43:22
team building exercise where they got a
43:23
whole bunch of aluminum foil and then
43:25
made hats.
43:26
>> I wasn't part of it. Uh but I came back
43:28
to my office and there were
43:32
>> two dozen tin around. So, uh yeah, and I
43:36
haven't moved them.
43:37
>> I love it. I love it.
43:40
>> That's right. That's right. Well, we're
43:42
looking forward to that launch. John,
43:43
thanks so much for taking the time to do
43:44
this. Um, we're just we're so excited.
43:48
You know, congrats to the to the team
43:49
and and to all of the work that you all
43:51
have put into this and yeah, we just
43:53
can't wait to see more. Um, for sure.
43:55
>> But thanks so much for taking the time.
43:56
We really appreciate it.
43:58
>> Awesome. Thank you guys. Uh, uh, truly I
44:01
really appreciate it. Always always
44:02
enjoy chatting with you guys.
44:03
>> Thanks. Bye-bye.
#Science