HP’s first shot at a Googlebook laptop is a winner, or at least as much as the platform allows. While the Googlebook as an operating system leaves a lot to be desired, the HP Googlebook 14 ticks all the boxes for a fantastic laptop. Starting with the hardware, HP has really built a very good laptop here. The design is subtle at first glance, but I appreciate the sharp corners on the bottom where the feet hold the laptop for air circulation. There’s also a decent-sized space on the back for airflow that almost feels like a handle when you carry the laptop closed. It’s a far cry from something as flat and borderless as a MacBook Air, but I’ve really liked it when using the HP Googlebook 14. The machine is just 10.9mm thick and weighs 2.74 pounds (despite a mistake that doubles the weight on HP’s website). The aluminum construction is sturdy with minimal flex in the deck and mostly passes the one-handed opening test. Advertisement – Scroll for more content The keyboard has been a tremendous highlight. Despite the slim design, this keyboard has plenty of travel and is very comfortable to type on. The keys have a satisfying click without being too loud for use in public spaces, and the clearance is excellent, while the backlighting is perfectly pleasant too. It only took a few minutes to feel completely at home typing, although the Googlebook keyboard shortcuts take a moment to adjust to. The top row of function keys is simple and straightforward for the most part, but the full-screen toggle window (F4) and the screenshot tool (F5) need better iconography: The screenshot key is incredibly vague. The trackpad is also pretty good. While I still struggle with Google’s premium push in the first wave of Googlebooks, I’m glad haptic trackpads were mandatory, although HP’s implementation feels a little hollow. The placement of the trackpad to the space bar may be problematic for some users, but I never had any problems during my testing period. As for the display, the 14-inch OLED panel is magnificent. It’s crisp and colorful, and bright enough. I would love it to be a little brighter for outdoor use, but it’s perfectly acceptable as long as you’re not in direct sunlight. Battery life is pretty good, although not at the level of something like a MacBook Air. It’s a bit of a tough pill to swallow given the inherent limitations of the Googlebook OS, but it’s a far cry from the dark days of laptop battery life and is easily on par with a Snapdragon-powered Windows machine. Standby time is good, and it’s actually quite nice to have typical Android battery usage stats ready. Windows is far behind in this regard. Charging has been very fast, and I commend HP for including a charger that looks like it belongs in this decade, although I typically stuck with the USB-C chargers I had ready for both home use and a recent trip. The performance of the Snapdragon X Elite with 16 GB of RAM is, as expected, excellent. Since the Googlebook is based on Android, it’s a clear recipe for a speedy machine. While I’ve encountered my fair share of hiccups here or there, boot times are almost instantaneous and it’s impossible to complain about overall performance. The HP Googlebook 14 has every piece of a great laptop, but unfortunately it all comes down to the software, and the Googlebook is a drag on this machine. Our own Abner Li has already done a pretty in-depth review of Googlebook OS as a whole, so this is basically my personal addendum on the matter. My opinion on Googlebook is that, frankly, it seems a bit useless nowadays. Google has rebuilt ChromeOS on a new basis that, yes, presents more possibilities for the future, but it also does not solve practically any of the existing problems. Like ChromeOS, Googlebook has an incredibly limited library of desktop software, even more so given that Linux support has regressed greatly. You could point to obvious examples like the Adobe suite here, but it really comes down to niche apps and tools that have been developed for Windows, macOS, and Linux for decades. That’s an impossible task for any new platform to tackle, but Googlebook feels like it’s actively ignoring that clear gap in functionality. As mentioned, Linux app support has been largely decimated, which was a huge boon to the app situation on ChromeOS. There is also no way to emulate applications for other platforms here, which would be another good way to meet the needs of users who are not satisfied with what can be found in the Play Store or on the web. Google literally has the tools to do this, and yet none of them can be found here. When launching this platform, Google’s repeated phrase about who it is for is “it’s a laptop for Android users.” I am absolutely sick of hearing that. It doesn’t make any sense. In a society dominated by smartphones, smartphones are the main target. Yes, you want cross-device integration, but you’re not buying a laptop for smartphone integration. You buy a laptop to do the things your phone can’t do, and the Googlebook can’t really do much more than your phone, at least not yet. HP did a great job creating a very good laptop for the Googlebook. The software simply lets the hardware down. You would have a much better time using this laptop running Windows or even Linux compared to the Googlebook right now. Especially at a time when the cost of laptops continues to skyrocket, I can’t recommend that anyone invest $1,200 in a Googlebook when you can get a Windows laptop, or even a MacBook, for the same price, if not less. There’s simply no reason to get less functionality for the same price. Fast forward to when the Googlebook is available on less expensive hardware and it might be a different story, but right now, eh. More on Googlebook: Follow Ben: Twitter/X, Threads, Bluesky and Instagram FTC: We use automatic affiliate links to generate income. Further.
