Android is the best and worst thing about Googlebooks
A review of new Android-powered laptops highlights the mixed experience of using the operating system in a desktop environment. While the integration with Android phones offers convenience, the reviewer notes significant issues with connectivity, file sharing, and app stability.
Why it matters
It reflects the challenges of cross-platform ecosystem integration and the potential pitfalls of expanding mobile operating systems into the laptop market.
My first week with the new Android-powered laptops has been about as rocky as anyone’s, but I’ve slowly learned to like them, even if love still feels a ways off. Every moment that’s impressed me has been thanks to Android, whether I’ve been accessing a native version of a useful app or quickly checking my phone notifications from the laptop user interface.
But man, sometimes it just sucks.
Phone connectivity is flaky, app casting is awkward, and file-sharing seems to be flat-out broken. And that’s just the interaction between a Googlebook and a phone — I have a whole other set of gripes about the limitations of native Android apps on a $1,000 laptop.
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